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Did you know?

Here you can find many interesting facts about underground large-scale thermal energy storage and their integration into the heating networks.

Scroll down to find out!

did you know pic 1

…that Large Scale Seasonal Underground TES are potential solutions for decarbonisation and energy security?

What is UTES?

Think of the Earth as a giant thermal battery. UTES uses the stable temperature of the ground to store excess heat in summer and cold in winter. This stored thermal energy can then be accessed to heat or cool buildings throughout the year, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources.

Why is UTES important?

UTES leverages the Earth’s natural thermal capacity to store excess heat or cold, enabling efficient, on-demand heating and cooling while reducing reliance on traditional energy sources. UTES captures excess heat or cold and stores it underground, minimising energy losses compared to traditional methods that rely on constant generation. This results in a more efficient use of available thermal resources.

What is the difference between aquifer and borehole TES?

Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)

This method utilises naturally occurring underground aquifers as storage units. Water in the aquifer acts as the storage medium, offering a large-scale, natural thermal reservoir.

Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES)

A network of deep vertical wells and the surrounding ground act as the storage medium. A fluid circulates within the boreholes to exchange thermal energy with the ground. This method offers greater control over the storage process and is suitable for areas with limited aquifers.

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…that District Heating and Cooling is a major solution for the decarbonisation of the heating sector?

How are district heating networks and underground thermal energy storage systems interconnected?

District heating networks (DHN) and underground thermal energy storage (UTES) systems are interconnected because TES complements DHN by storing excess heat for later use, thereby increasing system efficiency. UTES helps to overcome seasonal mismatches in energy supply and demand, and enables greater integration of renewable energy sources into the DHN. This synergy between DHN and TES provides a critical foundation for efficient and sustainable heating systems, which are essential in the transition to decarbonisation.

What are District Heating and Cooling Networks?

DHC networks are centralised systems that produce and distribute thermal energy (heat or cold) to residential, commercial and industrial buildings through a network of insulated pipes within a defined geographical area, such as a city or neighbourhood.

How can district heating and cooling contribute to the decarbonisation of the heating sector?

District heating and cooling (DHC) networks play a key role in decarbonising the heating sector by using locally available renewable and waste heat sources. These networks offer a unique advantage in utilising different sustainable heat sources such as geothermal, solar thermal, recovered waste heat, power-to-heat and sustainable biomass.

Replicators

…that USES4HEAT is on a mission to cut over 19.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions?

How does USES4HEAT system could help reduce emissions and benefit the EU and individual users?

By installing UTES in over 60% of current DHNs in Europe, USES4HEAT predicts an annual reduction of over 19.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions and significant reductions in fossil fuel use, decarbonising over 300,000 GWh/year of DH. Furthermore, with a target cost of €40/MWh, the implementation of these systems could save end users over €40 billion per year.

How is USES4HEAT going to help Europe use waste heat?

EU waste heat is almost equal to the EU demand for heat and hot water. However, a key barrier affecting the reuse of industrial waste heat is the regulatory and policy framework, with limited incentive schemes. USES4HEAT will provide guidelines and pathways for policy makers to remove financial, legislative and administrative barriers.