We gathered around a Decentralised Ultra Low Temperature District Heating Network concept back in 2017. After 56 months, the RELaTED consortium has successfully achieved its goals. Is it over? Well, not really. It is now the time to scale-up.
Roberto Garay, RELaTED Project Coordinator
We developed, integrated, and tested our concept. These shall now be promoted for integration across existing and new DH systems.
We developed systems to manage heat in and outwards of buildings, adapt temperature levels, and incorporate solar heat in a quite flexible setting. This is well proven in three of our sites, but it is now the time to develop it at a wider scale. This requires forward-looking DH network operators and customers, together with updated service agreements and enabling business models.
Our networks have shown substantial improvements in energy efficiency through low temperature DH. Successful temperature reduction processes and the operation of low temperature systems in sparsely populated areas are already a reality. They are now expending their LT operations in sites such as Tartu and Vinge. And need to be propagated also out of our networks.
Our way to retrofit and upgrade corporate DH networks has shown a relevant decarbonisation impact. But there are needs to progress to the following phases, expanding to the remaining buildings in Iurreta, and to other similar sites.
So. YES, RELaTED is over as a project. We achieved a lot.
Our networks have shown substantial improvements in energy efficiency through low temperature DH
Now it is time to expand beyond the project. Our context as a society is continuously evolving, with increasing challenges with regards to security of supply, geopolitical stability, and global warning. All these challenges were somehow hidden (for those unwilling to look around) back in 2017, but they are increasingly relevant.
My greatest thanks to those who decided to fund RELaTED back in 2017, and to our fantastic group of 14 partner companies and institutions who made it possible.