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District heating is a mature technology used extensively in many European cities. Highly insulated infrastructure is used to transport heat from locations where it has little value (such as the back of a power station) to locations where it has high value (heating homes and other buildings).
Heat networks can enable a range of low carbon heat sources, but constructing them can be challenging, particularly in contemporary liberalised energy markets. Our research explores these challenges, considering the roles of different actors, the implications of different business models, what works in policy, planning and regulation, and what changing to this form of energy supply means for users.
How are devolved, regional and local authorities responding differently to goals of low energy, low carbon development and building retrofit?
How are the ‘problems’ of sustainable heat and energy efficiency understood in different countries and different cities, and how can they be solved?
What role do ‘cities’ play in sustainable energy transitions in the UK and elsewhere in Europe?
The Practitioner Group brings together a range of public sector, non-profit and commercial organisations actively developing or operating heat networks in Scotland.
District Energy Vanguards Network: Heat Networks The Road to Commercialisation
Free one-day workshop for local authorities and other public sector organisations
Monday 4th February 2019, London
Workshop to examine the current state of social science knowledge about sustainable heating provisions in European cities.
Seven local authority-led events, focusing on key parts of their strategic approach to district heating development.
Inverness and Edinburgh
The UK Government plans to publish its Heat Strategy in March 2013. DECC wished to test proposals relating to district heating with the members of the Vanguards Network. To this end the Vanguards met on Friday 15th February 2013, and were kindly hosted by Sheffield City Council at the Sheffield Town Hall.