Interfaces between supplier and consumer is normally an issue that we do not discuss that often, even though this is the main issue for all district energy companies in their everyday life. The main reason is, that across the world the interface between producer, distributor and consumer of district energy is different. Some places the district energy company controls the secondary side and some places they don’t. In some countries there is no split between production and distribution and others, like in Denmark, it is clearly separated.
N0. 4 2012
INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE ON DISTRICT HEATING AND COOLING
INTERFACE, USERS AND UTILITIES
DBDH - direct access to district heating technology
www.dbdh.dk
CONTENTS
Focus INTERFACE, USERS AND UTILITIES
4 5 8
THE COLUMN
CASE: Exporting the right supply of heat and knowledge
Smart heat metering with consumer related services
12 14 16 18 22 24 25 28 30
Brunata from basement to attic and on the PC
Follow the heat consumption on smart phone and tablet
HeatLab - heating customers at eye level
Pulse heat - district heating for low energy buildings
Large number of applications for Summer School District Energy
The district energy system of tomorrow
LATEST NEWS
MEMBER COMPANY PROFILE: VESTFORBRÆNDING
LIST OF MEMBERS
Besides the more traditional pump solutions, DESMI also supplies solutions with standard pumps in serial operation with extensive flexibility and high efficiency as the result. Individual, energy efficient pump solutions
HOT|COOL is published four times a year by:
DESMI’s pump solutions guarantee:
Operational reliability Energy efficient solutions Easy servicing
Total circulation: 7,000 copies in 50 countries
DBDH Stæhr Johansens Vej 38 DK-2000 Frederiksberg Phone +45 3818 5440 dbdh@dbdh.dk www.dbdh.dk
Call 72 44 02 50 for further options
ISSN 0904 9681 Layout: DBDH/galla-form.dk
Editor-in-Chief: Lars Gullev, VEKS
Pre-press and printing: Kailow Graphic A/S
Coordinating Editor: Kathrine Windahl, DBDH
PROVEN TECHNOLOGY www.desmi.com
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
Intelligent Energy Solutions
How to keep cool the profitable way
See savings here… See howmuch the boiler efficiency means for the CO 2 emissions and fuel consumption at the indicative CO 2 ST-SAVER on our website: aalborg-engineering.com. Enter your own figures - or compare with the market standard. You will be surprised. At Aalborg Engineering we think the environment into all our activities. We do it for the planet and the climate - and most of all to meet the quest of our customers: Lifetime Lowest Cost.
Probably the most efficient boiler solution in the world Aalborg Engineering is one of the world's leading specialists in customized boiler plants. Package Boilers and Heat Recovery Steam Generators, added the intelligence and know-how that at all times has been Aalborg Engineering's trademark as a research-based company and Lifetime Partner. Each boiler and HRSG solution is created as a unique, effective and sustainable solution. Designed to provide efficiencies of 6 - 10% above the market standard. This means significantly reduced CO 2 emissions, lower costs, improved returns.
Aalborg Engineering A/S | DENMARK | Phone: +45 96 31 39 50 Aalborg Engineering Slovakia s.r.o. | SLOVAKIA | Phone: +42 136 631 5518 www.aalborg-engineering.com
P_ 4
By Martin B. Petersen, Export Sales Manager, ABB, and Board Member of DBDH The COLUMN
Interfaces between supplier and consumer is normally an issue that we do not discuss that often, even though this is the main issue for all district energy companies in their everyday life. The main reason is, that across the world the interface between producer, distributor and consumer of district energy is different. Some places the district energy company controls the secondary side and some places they don’t. In some countries there is no split between production and distribution and others, like in Denmark, it is clearly separated. However, as the demand keeps rising for increased energy efficiency in the district energy market and keeps prices low, the interaction with the end consumer is inevitable. At the end of the day, everything starts at the consumer. We need to understand our consumer’s demands and installations to deliver sufficient heating or cooling. But this is not enough, as consumption patterns and simple awareness of how heating or cooling is consumed will affect the consumption of the individual as well as the overall economy and efficiency of the district energy company. Besides the economic benefits for consumer and the district energy company, communication between distributor and consumer brings along environmental benefits by lower overall consumption and energy use at distribution level as well as increases the service level felt from the consumer. It is not every day that we as consumers are encouraged to lower our bills, but this is actually the fact across many district energy networks, and especially in Frederiksberg, Denmark as you will learn inside this issue of HOT|COOL.
The clear interface between distributor and customers is slowly being eroded as the district energy companies educate its customers and the industry delivers ever more sophisticated products to themarket that embrace the new possibilities for communicating. A new visualization platform in the form of phones, tablets and PC’s have emerged and makes communication and education of consumers easier and much more interactive. But, how far can you go and how much would you like to involve the customer? The threat is that extensive information and choices will decrease the involvement of the customer as heating is not on top of their agenda. As you will read in this issue, this is on the minds of both the district energy companies and the industry that supplies the solutions that can measure and visualize the customer’s consumption and help the companies’ communication with its customers. At the end of the day a lower - and better consumption of heating and cooling that will increase the difference between supply and return temperature, will result in a more competitive district energy market where the consumer can see the benefit of its behavior on prices and the environment. We are constantly looking at increasing the efficiency of the production and distribution, now the time has come to involve the consumers to go the extra mile to make district energy even more attractive to consumers and politicians alike. Increasing the awareness of what district energy is really about, by eroding the interface, could maybe be the one thing that makes district energy more than “just” pipes in the ground.
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 5
By Jens Rasmussen, Technical Manager, isoplus Denmark EXPORTING THE RIGHT SUPPLY OF HEAT AND KNOWLEDGE
CASE
In the years ahead, district heating will generally play an increasingly major role in Europe, as no less than 40% of the energy consumption is used for heating homes. Using district heating as an energy source permits significant reductions in the carbon account, allowing us to conserve and protect our environment now, tomorrow and in the future.
In Kohtla, Estonia, isoplus Denmark has supplied pipes for establishing a new district heating supply between the towns of Järve, Ahtme and Sompa. By the end of 2012, a total of 34 km of pre-insulated pipes will connect these three picturesque towns with district heating. All towns used to have district heating, but the existing heating works are due to be shut down. Instead, the region’s refinery, owned by VKG Soojus AS, will supply the towns with environmentally friendly surplus heat. This is one of the few places in the world where they refine ‘shale oil’, extracted by pyrolysis of sedimentary rock containing kerogen, which can be transformed into petroleum-like fluids.
KNOW-HOW RELATING TO PRE-INSULATED DISTRICT HEATING PIPES
In Denmark, approximately 40% of the district heating production is based on non-fossil fuels, thus being CO2 neutral. This means that we are well positioned to help other countries meet their targets for reducing their CO2 emissions. VKG Soojus AS had no previous experience of installing transmission pipelines of the order of magnitude in question, and isoplus has therefore been involved as a close partner throughout the entire process.
THE NEW DISTRICT HEATING NETWORK S EASY ON THE ENVIRONMENT
The environment in Kohtla will in future be spared a good deal of CO2 emissions, due to utilisation of the surplus heat from the refinery, so that the need to use other fuels will be reduced, including those of fossil origin, which would otherwise have been used to fuel the district heating system.
www.dbdh.dk
J O U R N A L N 0 . 4 / 2 0 1 2
P_ 6
EXPORTING THE RIGHT SUPPLY OF HEAT AND KNOWLEDGE
ALARM SYSTEM Innovative product development to meet the ever-changing requirements of the market and use of the latest technology are important aspects. This is why the district heating system in Estonia was provided with the newly developed isoAlarm 4500. The alarm system will in future alert system operators via text messaging and e-mail to any moisture ingress in the insulating polyurethane foam, allowing VKG Soojus AS to repair any fault before damage to the pipe system is sustained. This ensures safe and stable operation of the installation. TRAINING AND SUPPORT FROM ISOPLUS isoplus operates on the basis of a “total quality” concept, where we do our utmost to provide our customer base with a quality experience for the full duration of our partnership, right from the very first contract until the pipes are in the ground and the installation is up and running. In Estonia, the partnership has been all the closer in that the Estonians had no prior experience of installing a transmission pipeline with the dimensions in question. At isoplus we have therefore also taken charge of the necessary training of supervisors and personnel from VKG Soojus AS, as well as instructing the sub-contractors’ staffs in how to assemble and install the joints and use a foaming machine. To see the project through to its full and proper conclusion, isoplus also dealt with practical problems, such as, e.g., provision of generators and foaming machines.
Incidentally, it was the sizeable production capacity, quality and technical capability that led to VKG Soojus AS selecting isoplus Denmark as supplier to begin with. The delivery to VKG Soojus AS does not just involve supply of district heating pipes, but electrical fusion joints as well. All mantle joins are executed using electrical fusion, a technology which ensures that the system is provided with the safest joint on the market – and with full documentation covering the entire assembly process. To ensure that everything is executed in accordance with current standards, isoplus has taken charge of all static calculations for the pipe system, and we have also produced the requisite project drawings. In addition, the contract also provides for a monitoring system, electrical pre-stressing, and the overall design of the pipe system. All project drawings relating to the procedures for electrical pre-heating have also been executed by isoplus. STATIC COMPENSATION ON 30 SECTIONS Pipe-laying in the 17 km long channel using pipes of DN 500 dimension imposed specific requirements of its own. Due to the large pipe dimensions and the installation’s high maximum temperature of 1400 o C the system had to be subjected to electrical thermal pre-stressing. Where pre- heating of this type is performed, the system’s axial stress can easily be reduced to around half of that of a system which is laid cold.
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 7
The thorough training we delivered ensured that the project ran smoothly, focusing very much on safe and correct execution at every stage. DELIVERY AT THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE It was not just training and support for the district heating installations in Estonia that meant special requirements for isoplus. The logistics also require extensive planning, coordination and cooperation with VKG Soojus AS, given that, at peak times, 16 trucks a week have to deliver consignments over the course of five working days per week – a task which was solved via close dialogue with VKG Soojus. Only thanks to this close cooperation was it possible to deliver the entire system in a record-breaking six months.
For further information please contact:
Isoplus Denmark Att.: Jens Rasmussen
Phone: +45 6441 6109 Fax: +45 6441 6159 j.rasmussen@isoplus.dk
Korsholm Allé 20 5500 Middelfart
CHP a benefit for the environment
west copenhagen heating transmission company roskildevej 175, dk-2620 Albertslund t +45 43 66 03 66 veks@veks.dk www.veks.dk
www.dbdh.dk
J O U R N A L N 0 . 4 / 2 0 1 2
P_ 8
By Gert Skriver, Corporate Editor, Kamstrup SMART HEAT METERING WITH CONSUMER RELATED SERVICES Automatic functions in smart energy meters secure both consumer comfort and operation efficiency.
• Leak Surveillance is an intelligent feature which informs the utility in case of leakage. An additional flow sensor (V2) is mounted in the outlet pipe which allows the meter to compare mass in inlet with mass in outlet. If the comparison shows an imbalance an alert is sent via the AMR-system. • By adding an adding an extra temperature sensor to the Leak Surveillance system it is possible to monitor the meter accuracy and generate reports on errors and deviances. The feature is known as Automatic Meter Fleet Surveillance. • Automatic Leak Protection is also based on the Leak Surveillance system: with a serial data connection to the DanTaet valve control-system (a third part operator) the district energy installation can be automatically shut off in case of leakage. • Valve Control: the energy meter can control a motor- operated valve – a so called PQT-limiter – for projects requiring power or flow control.
The smart energy meter’s interface with end-consumers is mainly characterized by its discreet manner of working. The integrated intelligence works behind the façade from where it provides consumers and users with higher comfort and economic improvements by offering automatic operations, often via third party applications. The following pages offer a peek behind the façade and reveal two intelligent and very consumer oriented functions: automatic leak protection and automatic valve control. Due to micro processing technology and a modular construction the electronic energy meter offers an array of extra optional functions besides the basic supply of legal data for billing. The energy counter producing consumption data with the purpose of charging the customer for the amount of consumed energy constitutes the unchangeable core of the energy meter; but with the vast amount and the high density of consumption data which are being logged and made available in different registers, a number of possibilities for extra functions open up. These extra functions make the energy meter into a programmable and very flexible tool which is capable of increasing comfort and improving economy for utilities as well as for end-consumers. The energy meter is no longer just a cash register, but virtually a computer that monitors and controls the energy supply at the farthest ends of the supply line. MULTIFUNCTIONAL INSTRUMENT The following short overview of some of the extra functions gives an idea of the energy meter as a multifunctional instrument. On the one hand it provides utilities with analyzing tools for operational optimization and a smoother work flow; and on the other hand it provides consumers with extra services enabled by meter data. • Remote Counter is a basic form of remote meter reading where an energy or volume pulse is corresponded by one count. • Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) denotes the possibility via communication modules using various protocols to connect the energy meter to data collection systems, communication networks or building management systems. • Analogue Outputs are used for cabled connection to different pointer displays. The parameters to be displayed can be defined by the operator. • The 12V auxiliary power supply in the MULTICAL 801 energy meter enables supply of power to passive meters.
Graphical overview of the energy meter’s extra functions.
Some of these functions are intelligent which means that the meter or connected applications are programmed to carry out actions on the basis of registered consumption data. Thus interfacing intelligently with consumers the energy meter ensures a more efficient operation and additional services without actually involving the consumer in the metering system. The last two functions on the list, Automatic Leak Protection and Valve Control, are particularly related to end-consumers and share the common characteristic that they add extra intelligence and value to the district heating system, and that the interface between consumer and system installation is in a way characterized by its invisibility and subtleness.
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 9
AUTOMATIC LEAK PROTECTION Automatic Leak Protection takes Leak Surveillance a step further by providing the consumer with an extra security function. In case that the system registers a leakage, the district energy supply will immediately be sealed off in order to prevent water waste and damages. This operation involves no human interaction. The Automatic Leak Protection is a combined solution based on the MULTICAL energy meter’s Leak Surveillance and an automatic valve control system from DanTaet. Leakages in district heating installations stand for some of the biggest challenges and sources of inconvenience. A leakage can occur in places of limited accessibility and cause severe damages before they are detected. Very often a leakage is discovered only by a drop of pressure or at the annual meter reading which will show an unusually high consumption, which means that by then the leakage has also become a considerable economic burden – and then it still remains to discover the exact location of the leak. In Thisted, a community of 15,000 people in northern Denmark, the district heating customers are being offered Automatic Leak Protection. The reason is that the utility (Thisted Varmeforsyning) is upgrading the supply system to a more energy efficient standard which includes a gradual out- phasing of all heat exchangers. Removing heat exchangers has advantages in terms of higher energy efficiency and improved supply control, but it also entails a higher risk in case of leakages, because the former division in a primary district heating system and a secondary system on consumer side will be abandoned in favour of a direct system with no physical separation between the district heating system and the consumer’s heating system. HIGHER SECURITY Obviously leakages in a direct system will to some extent affect the whole district heating system and are therefore liable to cause even more damage at the consumer’s property. In order to take this higher risk into account Thisted District Energy has chosen to offer Automatic Leak Protection as an option to their customers who will actually benefit from an even higher protection against leakages than before. Automatic Leak Protection depends on Leak Surveillance which has already been implemented by a large number of utilities. Leak Surveillance is an option provided by the MULTICAL energy meters that must be mounted with two flow sensors, two temperature sensors and an automatic meter reading system. The two flow sensors are installed in inlet and outlet respectively. Based on a comparison of the water mass the meter calculates a possible imbalance between inlet and outlet. An imbalance will cause an alert which is being sent via
the automatic meter reading system to the central system. An alert will also be prompted if the meter is not idle for a predefined period within 24 hours. Automatic Leak Protection adds further automation to the surveillance by actually shutting the system down instead of just sending an alert. The consumer will experience instant reaction without having to rely on the utility’s crisis preparedness. When the first system was installed in April 2012 in Thisted it immediately shut off the supply to the residence. It was assumed that this first installation was showing a system error, but as a matter of fact, there turned out to be a leakage, and the system was in reality showing its efficiency.
Department Manager, Lars Andersen, from Thisted District Energy demonstrates the automatic leak protection system. The energy meter is connected to the DanTaet control unit automatically operating two check valves. Check valves in the Automatic Leak Protection system shutting off the energy supply when activated by the control unit.
www.dbdh.dk
J O U R N A L N 0 . 4 / 2 0 1 2
P_ 10
SMART HEAT METERING WITH CONSUMER RELATED SERVICES
INSURANCE DISCOUNT Via a serial data connection to the energy meter with Leak Surveillance the DanTaet System KMP-F receives the necessary data for performing automatic leak protection by means of two check valves placed directly after the flow sensors. Furthermore, theDanTaet-systemcarries out a supplementary patented leak control. Once every night the valve in return flow will shut down and cause an increased pressure in the installation. The pressure increase will reveal any small leakages which could over time aggravate and become detrimental. The continuous control undertaken by the leak protection system has a pre-emptive function as it detects leakages before they develop into real damages. Normally in case of a leakage a consumer will often compensate for the drop of pressure by filling in more water in the heating system, but this will result in more water flowing through the outlet pipe than through the inlet pipe which will also be registered by the system and interpreted as a leakage. Depending on the insurance company the Automatic Leak Protection qualifies for an insurance discount of 25-50%. “We chose to offer this automatic solution because leak surveillance alone does not protect against leak damages, if the house is empty. In order for leak surveillance to be efficient it is dependent on a manpowered response. The automatic leak protection system gives us a possibility of offering an even better customer service,” says Department Manager, Lars Andersen, at Thisted District Energy. AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROL Automatic Leak Protection clearly demonstrates how the energy meter’s data production can be used for intelligent service functions adding extra value for the consumer. The energy meter so to speak extends its operative space from being a mere cash register into serving as a security instrument. Automatic valve control features a similar value augmentation by extracting consumption data to be used for energy efficiency and economic purposes. Via the up/down-port on the circuit board the energy meter is capable of connecting to a motor operated valve, a so called PQT-limiter, with the purpose of limiting and opening up for the energy supply. (PQT-limiter stands for: P = Power (kJ), Q = Flow (m3/h), T = Temperature (K)). This feature offers the possibility of automatically limiting the consumption to the ideal level with regards to economy, energy efficiency and network capacity.
Energy meter MULTICAL® 801 with opened case featuring the valve control port (yellow border) and the serial data port (red border) for connection with DanTaet Leak Protection System.
District heating customers and utilities can for various reasons be interested in a consumption limitation. It will for instance be possible to reduce return flow in order to ensure an adequately high Delta T which means that a maximum of energy is extracted from the water. According to billing policy the utility decides onwhich parameter to base the valve control: Energy, flow or temperature. Depending on the programming of the energy meter the PQT- limiter will be controlled by data from an according register. Automatic valve control is applicable in various areas: 1) Reserving energy for emergency situations In the city Odense (Denmark) the university and the hospital share a common supply pipe which is laid out for a normal consumption pattern. But in case of emergency situations like very hard frost, the valve will automatically curb the supply to the university to a minimum in order to let the hospital continue with normal comfort. In this case the PQT-limiter enables less critical parts of the supply network to shut down to a frost free level, thus avoiding a straining of the network. 2) Budget planning Based on experience utilities know that building developments most likely will be expanded within a certain period of time. Planning with due foresight the utility may choose to lay out an over-dimensioned pipe to the development area and install a PQT-limiter which can later open the pipe to its full dimension when the development area is being expanded. A housing area of a certain size may be duly supplied by a 150mm pipe, but the utility chooses instead to lay down a 250mm pipe and reduce the diameter to the more adequate 150mm. In this way the utility secures the possibility of turning up the supply at a later time without having to lay out new pipes.
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 11
3) Customer sectioning A large builders’ merchant in the city Aalborg (Denmark) has a 10,000m2 storage room which is only slightly heated. Because of the large and only sparsely heat demanding room, the merchant initially saw little point in connecting to the district heating system because the fixed price pr. m2 would make the connection inappropriately expensive. But with a PQT-limiter the builders’ merchant could be connected to the main pipe and benefit fully from the comfort of district heating in the store and in the office rooms, and at the same time get a lower heating of the partial area which is made up of the storage room.
Protection reacts on critical imbalances in the heating installation that otherwise could have remained undetected. And automatic valve control secures the optimal operation of the district heating supply, in terms of both economy and energy efficiency.
For further information please contact:
Kamstrup Att.: Gert Skriver Industrivej 28 DK-8660 Skanderborg
Phone: +45 8993 1000 Fax: +45 8993 1001 ges@kamstrup.dk
4) Stabilizing energy supply Schools, sport centres and churches must be slowly heated in order to avoid straining the district heating network. After a holiday period a cold school building or a churchwith thick stonewalls may need a long heating period. If the heating is being accelerated too quickly, too much energy will be extracted from the supply network for one particular installation leaving too little energy for other consumers. The PQT-limiter will ensure a controlled supply and thus protect the whole network and secure a steady supply to all consumers. CONSUMER FRIENDLY INTELLIGENCE Generally, automation serves as a means for a more secure and more efficient energy supply. Manual operation always poses a potential security breach and a source of errors. End-consumers may set their heating installation inadequately or may stress the supply when – inadvertently – requesting an excessive amount of energy or may simply be unaware of their consumption pattern. Intelligent overrule consumer demands in order to provide the desired comfort and optimize the supply service. The consumer friendly intelligence which is facilitated by the energy meter and often performed by a third part application, works by taking decisions on behalf of the consumer. The energy meter’s most important consumer interface is therefore not related to what the consumer can actually do with the meter, but to the extra services that are being provided in a more subtle way. Automatic Leak control can
heating up cities
Developing sustainable cities with modern comfort standards requires technical know-how and innovative thinking. ramboll provides full-range consultancy on district heating from energy production through to transmission, distribution and end use.
www.ramboll.com/re
Cities_hotcool_120x200mm.indd 1
28/11/2012 15:45:41
www.dbdh.dk
J O U R N A L N 0 . 4 / 2 0 1 2
P_ 12
By Lea Holtze, journalist at Brunata BRUNATA FROM BASEMENT TO ATTIC AND ON THE PC
TO MEASURE IS TO KNOW The question is why such meter data is important? When the act concerning individual heating metering was passed in Denmark in 1995, it resulted in a significant reduction within a few years of the heat consumption in the social housing where heat cost allocators were installed. The same homes with the same residence suddenly used 10-40 % less heat than before, quite simply because the residents became aware of their actual consumption. They acquired knowledge they did not previously have and translated this knowledge into action. There is focus everywhere on reduction of the nation’s energy consumption. In this connection, all links in the supply chain are scrutinised. District heating plants adjust their heating systems, improve the pipelines, reduce heat loss by better insulation and control supply and return temperatures to ensure the most effective exploitation of the hot water. However, Hans Henrik Finne claims that the Danes also have to change their energy habits if the energy consumption is to be significantly reduced. In other words, the improvements must happen at flat level. That is why Brunata does not merely collect data, but also shares knowledge. USER-FRIENDLY KNOWLEDGE SHARING ”We make it possible to show janitors and individual residents how much heating they have used, where and when via our web- based programme WebMon and thus illustrate consumption patterns. Although the district heating plant can state how much energy has been consumed by the individual flat or housing unit, it cannot specify how much has been consumed in the individual rooms as we can. That puts us in an optimal position to provide the residents with a good and accurate decision basis for good energy behaviour,” explains Hans Henrik Finne.
In a housing association basement, Brunata’s district heating unit OpTherma converts district heating water into hot water in the radiators. The radiators in the flats throughout the building are fitted with one of the most sophisticated heat cost allocators in the world, and up in the attic, the company’s gateway continuously transmits data, which can be presented as consumption information on the residents’ PCs. On this basic, they can obtain qualified input on the consumption pattern in their behaviour. After descending winding staircases and walking down narrow corridors to the basement of the housing complex, you get to the district heating unit Brunata OpThema, which is designed to be easily transported and precisely adjusted to the individual customer’s specific operational and building conditions. From here, hot water flows through the housing complex and disperses warmth via the flat radiators to the residents, while consumption data are carefully registered by some of the most precise heat cost allocators in the world. In this way, the district heating unit acts as a link between district heating plant and consumer – from the entry of the pipe into the building and beyond. SOPHISTICATED KNOWLEDGE GATHERING However, Brunata’s service does not end with district heating units and heat cost allocators, but continues right through to the calculation of the heating consumption and its transmission to the residents via their consumption invoice and the web-based programme WebMon. However, it all starts with the meters. The first thermo-electronic radiator meters for calculating the Danes’ heating consumption were developed more than 90 years ago. Today, the measuringmethods have naturally become much more sophisticated. Modern meters are electronic and
able to register consumption data at short intervals, collect them systematically and pass them on via radio transmitters. ”Our heat cost allocators first register the heat source – does the heat come from the supplier or from other heat sources in the room? Then they accurately calculate the amount of heating coming from the supplier, so that the residents only pay for the energy consumed, even if they have access to other heat sources such as a computer, a wood-burning stove or an electric heater. This is completely unique,” says Brunata Sales Director Hans Henrik Finne.
Remote reading with Brunata Optuna H
Flat
Brunata Futura Signal +
Brunata Futura Hygro +
Cold water meter Hot water meter
Flat
Staircase
Receiver
Brunata Optuna H
Brunata server
User access
Consumption billing
Consumption report
Basement
Sender
OpTherma Substations
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 13
The residents are interested in the project and show that they have a fundamental wish to be able to compare their heating consumption with that of similar homes, as this allows them to put their respective consumption into perspective and adjust their behaviour accordingly. MORE COLLABORATION In future, Brunata would like to see the housing associations making more use of the visualisation tools that already exist in order to achieve the savings which can be made through more appropriate habits and energy behaviour – both in relation to consumption and interior climate. Reduced energy consumption is in the interest of both district heating plants and housing associations and as the residents are at the end of the pipes, this is where the effort needs to be made. However, some housing associations may not have the necessary resources and the utility companies cannot adjust the residents’ radiators themselves. That is why increased collaboration is required and through sophisticated data collection, Brunata can provide the necessary knowledge. ”We are prepared for the future because our meters can supply consumption data continuously and contribute to dynamic consumption illustrations. Huge quantities of data are also available as is the visualisation,” concludes Hans Henrik Finne.
What is important is not always just how much energy a resident uses, but also whether it is used correctly. It is not enough to turn down the heat, it must be done in such a way that the energy is used optimally and the saving measure does not cause frost damage or humidity issues. Often, we do not really think about the ’consumption errors’ we make, as we act on the assumption that our behaviour is completely normal. However, increased insight and visualisation of the consumption measurements can focus on that.
Remote reading with Brunata Futura +
Flat
Brunata Futura Hygro +
Cold water meter Hot water meter
Flat
Staircase
Brunata Futura +
Receiver
Brunata server
User access
Consumption billing
Consumption report
Basement
Sender
OpTherma Substations
Currently, Brunata is also part of a partnership project with Gate21/Plan C, the housing administration company Bo-Vest and the non-profit making Alexandra Institute. Among other things, the project involves developing user interfaces and via questionnaire surveys, interviews and workshops, residents are invited to help develop visualisation forms – including a website for visualising the residents’ heating consumption.
For further information please contact:
Brunata Att.: Lea Holtze Vesterlundvej 14 DK-2730 Herlev
Phone: +45 7777 7000 Fax: +45 7777 7001 lea@brunata.com
PRE-INSULATEDPIPINGSYSTEMS
We offer complete heat loss efficient pre- insulated piping systems for district heating, district cooling and steam, and pipe systems for industrial use. And we have more than 30 years of technical know-how and expertise.
Steel pipes • Flex pipes • Preinsulated fittings Joints • Valves • IsoCalc • IsoAlarm
Isoplus Denmark A/S • Korsholm Alle 20 • DK-5500 Middelfart • Tel.: +45 64 41 61 09 • iso@isoplus.dk • www.isoplus.dk
www.dbdh.dk
J O U R N A L N 0 . 4 / 2 0 1 2
P_ 14
By Lars Taarnskov, Marketing Manager, Frederiksberg Forsyning FOLLOW THE HEAT CONSUMPTION ON SMART PHONE AND TABLET
ABOUT FREDERIKSBERG MUNICIPALITY • A municipality in the central part of Copenhagen • Frederiksberg Forsyning supplies district heating, water and gas and diverts wastewater • 99 % of the 52,000 homes in total have district heating • 95% of the homes are flats POOR COOLING As part of Frederiksberg Municipality’s plan to reduce CO2 emissions Frederiksberg Forsyning has in recent years offered all heating customers a free check of their heating systems. One of the problems we encounter is poor cooling. “Cooling” refers to the temperature difference between the water that is received by the customer, and the water that the customer returns. Poor cooling is when the temperature of the district heating water is not cooled well enough. If the water is not cooled enough, pumping more water through all elements of the system is needed, and thus more energy will be used. In addition, all components are abraded - from private homes to power plants.
After this, they can go to our website to get suggestions for better cooling or less consumption.
Illustration text: Here the cooling is shown month by month over the last three years. The red line is the average for the past year. The cooling must be at least 31 degrees on average. The displayed customer is only 14.25 degrees and must therefore pay extra (PC version). MORE FEATURES The application for smart phone and tablet has the following features: 1. The customer logs on with customer and meter number, but can switch to a login of their own choice, e.g. "Jim" and "heat". 2. If the customer owns more than one building, he or she can connect with several meters. 3. The customers can see their consumption adjusted according to cold and warm winters. This figure is more accurate when comparing months or years. 4. Notebook: You can create a meter that
is remote-read (e.g. gas or water meter), enter your own readings and thus follow the consumption graphically.
The customers must pay extra for poor cooling, but they will not know this until they see the bill, which many only get once a year.
The app is called "Frb Supply".
LAPTOP, TABLET OR SMART PHONE The municipality makes a great effort to reduce CO2 emissions, and it has therefore been decided that it should be made easier for customers to keep an eye on their cooling and on their heat consumption. They have long been able to use their PC to do just that – but now they can also use mobile devices. A laptop, tablet or smart phone is smart, because the owner or caretaker is not obliged to e.g. stand in the basement and monitor developments. Or a board in a housing association can sit around a table with a tablet and make a heat budget. All district heating meters are remote-read, and customers therefore do not have to read the meters themselves. But they can see the cooling or the heat consumption month by month or compare two years. The customers can also get an e-mail if the cooling is below the critical limit - or if the consumption differs, say, 20%. They decide themselves how much the deviation should be. The customers also maintain the contact data.
Here the decreasing heat consumption is shown every month - for the last three years (iPad version). On the iPhone the annual consumption for the last four years is shown. The last year (99 MWh) is lower than the average (159 MWh). It has been interesting but hard work to develop four versions of the tool: One for PC, one for iPad, one for iPhone and one for Android phones. Fortunately the technology works in the direction of a "responsive design", which makes it easier to reuse design at different screen resolutions. "
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 15
NEXT STEP In January 2013, Frederiksberg Forsyning launches a new version of self-service for PC. That means the customers can: • see heat, water and gas consumption with only one login • type a reading, see consumption and see bills • get improved design and ease of use New solutions for mobile devices are on their way: Today, customers can send a text message with their reading. In 2013, they also get a reminder on text and email when they have to read - with a link to a mobile version of the website, where they can read without having to log on first.
MANY BENEFITS There are many advantages of the new app: By gaining control of cooling and consumption CO2 emissions are reduced; the utility’s and the customer's heating systems are more efficient - and the customer saves money.
For further information please contact:
Frederiksberg Forsyning Att.: Lars Taarnskov Stæhr Johansens Vej 38-40 DK-2000 Frederiksberg
Phone: +45 3818 5280 lt@frb-forsyning.dk
From the campaign "Save CO2 - and be able to afford a warm holiday"
Termis Real-time information about your network By using Termis in your daily work, all employees can focus on delivering the best possible service to the consumers.
With Termis you get: • Complete overview • Optimized production and reduced energy consumption • Improved customer service • CO 2 reduction
Read more: www.7T.dk/Termis
www.dbdh.dk
J O U R N A L N 0 . 4 / 2 0 1 2
P_ 16
By Hanne Rasmussen, Manager of Visits, and Mette Koch, Communications Officer, AffaldVarme Aarhus HEATLAB - HEATING CUSTOMERS AT EYE LEVEL
Why is it a good idea for a district heating company to meet the younger generations of heat customers? How do you organize a meeting at eye level with young people, so that the meeting will be present, engaging and, not least, relevant and enriching for both parties? AffaldVarme Aarhus (WasteHeat Aarhus), which is one of the largest district heating companies in Denmark, found some of the answers in the establishment of HeatLab. WHAT IS HEATLAB? HeatLab has multiple identities. It is intended as an educational offer as well as a teaching material. It is also a classroom, and it is the framework for the company WasteHeat Aarhus' responsiveness to the local educational institutions as well as the younger generations as users and stakeholders in the district heating area. HeatLab opened at the beginning of the school year 2012/2013, andWasteHeat Aarhus has very high ambitions for the concept. Therefore a lot of efforts were made prior to this educational opportunity, which the company today offers to local residents aged 13-16 years. COOPERATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY Early in the planning WasteHeat Aarhus began cooperating with the teacher training course at the local VIA University College, and the joint goal was to develop a unique educational opportunity directed at lower secondary classes in Aarhus regarding district heating systems. In short, the students must learn how district heating works - right from production to transmission and distribution to consumption. They will also learn how we can use and develop district heating, so that it becomes more and more climate- friendly. The students are old enough to understand that their own, as well as the company’s, way of using district heating can make a difference. They are also old enough to understand that district heating is sustainable and climate-friendly.
EXAMINE - ANALYZE–CONCLUDE Today we have the result:
HeatLab is located in beautiful and inviting rooms - right in the middle of one of the real-world district heating systems. The residence is at the plant AarhusVærket, which is both a workplace and a heat exchanger system with several large oil-fired district heating boilers for peak and reserve load. AarhusVærket is also a historic center for district heating in Aarhus since this where it all began nearly 100 years ago. The premises are home to a groundbreaking educational district heating program - the first of its kind. Here, exciting laboratory exercises take place with lots of IT in the education. Part of the educational material is an app that shows district heating as augmented reality. This means that the exchanger unit is equipped with IT, so that students with iPads can see what is going on inside the heat exchanger. This will help motivate students to study and analyze, while they learn about district heating. During the visit to HeatLab, the students work in groups at different workstations, where they collect pipes and tubes to get hot water out of the shower or in the floor. They also learn how to pump water and measure pressures and temperatures. As HeatLab was established, students from one of the schools visited the lab several times. They tested how the teaching actually worked for them, and they contributed with input on how the lab might work better for students in large classes. School, district heating and local society
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 17
to use IT in modern teaching methods, where pupils have to study, analyze and conclude.
With HeatLab, WasteHeat Aarhus expands its educational waste and district heating offer. It is important for WasteHeat Aarhus to cooperate with educational institutions so as to create a link between the school and the rest of society. For some time there has been a particularly close cooperation with the Municipal Department for Children and Young People in Aarhus, while the direct cooperation with the universities environment is new.
DISTRICT HEATING IN INNOVATIVE FRAMEWORK In this light there is an extra dimension in HeatLab’s location at AarhusVærket, which is situated closely to Aarhus' new urban area on the waterfront. In a few years HeatLab and Aarhusværket will work virtually next door to two new
buildings of the City of Aarhus: the multimedia house Dokk1 and Navitas, which is a new center for energy, innovation and education. Navitas will accommodate Aarhus School of Marine and Technical Engineering, and Aarhus University, School of Engineering, and the district heating industry will hire many employees from these institutions.
The reason for working with universities is the desire of the community to show science and technology educations in a relevant way and to open students' eyes to the possibilities of choosing those courses. The teaching of primary school pupils in HeatLab proved to be a success, and thanks to the cooperation with Via University, HeatLab has had yet another interface, which means that now also future teachers come to visiting the lab. Here, they want to hear about district heating as a teaching subject in the primary school, and they also wish to get acquainted with how
For further information please contact:
AffaldVarme Aarhus Att.: Hanne Rasmussen Bautavej 1 8210 Aarhus V
Phone: +45 8940 1500 hanra@aarhus.dk
Using energy at maximum efficiency. Solutions for district heating and cooling.
ABB has been providing innovative, energy-ef f icient and cost-ef fective solutions for district heating and cooling networks for more than 30 years. Our of fering ranges from turnkey solutions for entire district energy networks to integrated products and systems for control and automation, pumping stations and thermal substations. And, it includes start-to-f inish project management and an extensive global network of expertise and life cycle services. www.abb.com
ABB A/S Tel. +45 4450 4450 E-mail : abb.dk@dk.abb.com
P_ 18
PULSE HEAT - DISTRICT HEATING FOR LOW ENERGY BUILDINGS
Text originally published in “Fjernvarmen” by Gunnar Boye Olsen, Energiselskabet ved Andelssamfundet I Hjortshøj. Translated and adapted by Kathrine Windahl, DBDH
- Better insulated pipes.
A project supported by the Danish District Heating R & D Account shows that heat loss in low-energy buildings can be reduced by using pulse heat in combination with solar. The technique is not yet fully developed, but the preliminary results from tests in 18 houses close to the Danish city Aarhus are positive. With the shrinking heat loss in new Danish buildings the proportion of heat lost in district heating pipes gets bigger compared with the consumption. The low heat consumption will also mean that a larger proportion of the water flow in the district heating supply is circulated in order to ensure an adequate supply temperature. Nonetheless, there is still good reason to establish district heating supply to new residences in dense urban areas and dense low-rise buildings. There will still be a considerable heat consumption compared to the building area - a consumption which in many ways is better supplied with district heating than with for example heat pumps which cause heavy loads on the power grid in the cold periods and which have global environmental problems. The heat loss in the district heating supply for low-energy houses can be reduced by better district heating technique. There is a number of options:
- Thinner pipes, which due to small diameter have lower heat loss and which have enough capacity for houses with low consumption. Thin tubes, however, may cause capacity problems, if heat exchangers are used for hot water. The solution will therefore require a hot water tank or a very large driving thrust. One variant is that only forward flow is thinner. - Local summer supply, e.g. local solar in individual buildings, as well as a halt for district heating 3-5 months of the year, when solar takes care of the supply. This saves typically 25- 30% of heat loss. - "Pulsating district heating", where the district heating is delivered in 1-2 day pulses, which means that much of the pipe loss in the intervals between pulses is saved. In the ecological building the housing cooperative "Andelssamfundet i Hjortshøj "in the northern part of the Danish city Aarhus, the combination solar and district heating has been tested since 1998, and since 2008 two new housing groups (group 7 and 8) have tested a combination of pulsating district heating (pulse heat) and solar. The testing of the heat pulse combination with solar is supported by the Danish District Heating R & D Account.
E N E R G Y A N D E N V I R O N M E N T
P_ 19
CONCEPT OF SOLAR AND PULSE HEAT In the period 2008-2011, 18 low-energy houses in the cooperative society in Hjortshøj have been built with solar connected to district heating and pulsating district heating (pulse heat). The pulse heat heats the heat storage tanks in each house. For the pipe network flexible PEX double pipe with 16 mm pipes from Starpipe and Logstor have been used. In this project following methods for reducing heat loss in the district heating supply have been used: - All homes are equipped with solar so the heat can be turned off in summer, typically four months a year. When the power for district heating supply is turned off, solar supplies most of the heat demand for hot water, with a small contribution of electric heating, as all houses have electric heating cartridges in their hot-water tanks. - There is a storage tank of about 500 litres in each house, which is heated, while there is district heating pulse, and which supplies heat and hot water to the house during breaks between the heat pulses. The tank also acts as heat storage for the solar heating system; it contains the district heating water. Utility water is produced in the most houses with a hot water heat exchanger connected to the tank. - In order to send water from the return pipe to flow at the end of a pulse, there is a pump at the joint district heating entrance to the housing groups, which can circulate water from return to flow when the plant's main valve is closed. This minimizes heat loss from flow in the pulse break.
In each house there are two thermostats, respectively at the bottom and middle of the tank. When both thermostats are above their set temperature, the tank is hot, and the pulse to the house is stopped. The following modes of operation exist: - Summer, i.e. June-September: the district heating supply is usually closed, but individual pulses can be manually started during periods without sun.
- Transitional period, i.e. October-November and April-May: daily pulse of 4-10 hours.
- Normal winter, i.e. December-March: two daily pulses of 4-6 hours.
- Particularly cold periods, renewable frost: permanent heating supply.
In the planning phase, it was estimated that this combination of modes of operation can halve the transmission loss in with the new buildings from about 25% of the heat supplied to about 12%. In parallel with the pulse operation a data acquisition system was installed for the houses’ heat meters as well as two joint meters. With this measuring system, heat data is collected on an hourly basis.
OPERATING RESULTS WITH PULSE HEAT The operation is carried out with the different modes of
operation specified above. However, the pumping action of return to flow has not been started because of problems in managing this. For the first heating year (October 2009-September 2010) the pipe loss for the one housing group amounted to 8,800 kWh, while the loss was estimated, without pulse and solar, to being 17,600 kWh, i.e. a saving of 50%. The total heat consumption for the housing group was 48,500 kWh and thus the pipe loss amounted to 18%, which is slightly larger than expected. This was due to only seven houses being connected out of the planned 12.
The pulses are automatically controlled by a control system that can open and close valves in the individual dwellings, as well as the plant's main valve which is located at the joint flow to the two housing groups. There is thermostatic circulation at the entrance to the two groups and in the two outer houses in the network. They ensure a suitably high flow temperature when the pulse begins to individual houses. The circulation is open during start of pulse and closes when the flow temperature is sufficiently high, typically 55 °C.
For the second heating year (October 2010-September 2011), the saving for the one housing group amounted to 51% and the remaining loss is 11% of the housing group's total consumption. There are now connected 10 houses in the group.
A more detailed analysis shows that the vast majority of savings takes place during periods with only one pulse.
www.dbdh.dk
J O U R N A L N 0 . 4 / 2 0 1 2
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software