Decentralized Solar District Heating Systems
Abstract
The role of solar thermal technology in urban areas is investigated for future energy scenarios. The combination of a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) district heating system and decentralized solar thermal systems, located at each building connection unit (BCU) is focused in this context. Different technology options for domestic hot water (DHW) preparation are taken into account. These affect the efficiency of the solar thermal system, thus leading to a potential reduction of dimensioning. Hence, cost for the solar thermal system can be reduced, hence, resulting in lower cost for the complete system depending on the chosen DHW preparation system. Furthermore the robustness of solar thermal supply regarding varying environmental conditions represented by 19 years of monitored historical weather data at the location of Freiburg im Breisgau is demonstrated.