HEAT NETWORKS OPTIMISATION STUDY
DEPARTMENT FOR ENERGY SECURITY & NET ZERO
BACKGROUND
Over the past decade, the UK Government has viewed District and Communal Heating as one of the key pathways towards the decarbonisation of both new and existing buildings. However, due to a general lack of regulation this has created a legacy of ill performing sites.
Having recognised this, the Government is now providing funding via the Heat Networks Optimisation Opportunity (HNOO) and Heat Networks Efficiency Scheme (HNES) to enable sites that are under performing to be assessed for improvement.
d3associates was selected by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), to undertake the evaluation of a number of these sites under the HNOO scheme. Typically this involves carrying out a desktop analysis, coupled with detailed site surveys, and the production of a baseline performance case for each site. This information is then fed into a series of recommendations and the production of a business case to support targeted future investment.
OUTCOME
A typical site to showcase our approach would be Greenaway, a development of 74 apartments spread over 2 blocks in Clapham, South London.
Both blocks are fed by a single communal boiler plant and since handover in 2015, the site has experienced an array of reliability problems. Due to the recent energy crisis, heat tariffs have increased exponentially placing the spotlight firmly on efficiency.
Initially d3associates undertook both a desktop study and detailed site survey and highlighted a number of areas of concern. Subsequently, the team have now modelled the system to understand its original design basis and, coupled with measurements set against a series of KPIs, has developed a ranked set of recommendations. Noting the age of the plant, the assessment also included investigations into replacement with a low carbon alternative.
The d3associates programme will operate for the next 12 months and in addition to providing recommendations for tangible and measurable benefits for each site, this will also provide DESNZ with vital information that it can share throughout the Heat Market.
