To make district heating happen we need to implement local heat planning, build societal trust and update regulatory frameworks. Without these, the switch to clean heat will be more costly and important system benefits could fail to materialise, warns Sem Oxenaar from the Regulatory Assistance Project
Much of Europe’s district heating sector has been around for decades. But a lack of investment and cohesive thinking since then means many systems are lagging behind on their decarbonisation pathways, says Sem Oxenaar from the Regulatory Assistance Project
Two Parisian networks illustrate the old versus the new when it comes to district heating systems. Installing the next generation of district heating networks, while upgrading existing infrastructure, will accelerate the energy transition, says Sem Oxenaar from the Regulatory Assistance Project