Heat dispatch centre – Symbiosis of heat generation units to reach cost efficient low emission heat supply

Abstract The application of renewable heat supply technologies underlies various constraints. To overcome these limitations to their application in this research, an interconnection of different heat sources in the so-called Heat-Dispatch-Centre is derived from the main characteristics of renewable heat supply technologies. A season-dependent operation state of generation and storage units allows low-emission and efficient heat supply. In addition, alternative connection possibilities are discussed and a visualization method for an analysis of heat generation units connected in series is introduced. For an exemplary network an overall primary energy factor of 0.09 and a specific CO2 emission factor of 27 gCO2/kWh is reached, with costs of overall heat generation at 11–12 €ct/kWh. In contrast to this, a parallel connection of the heat sources reduces overall efficiency, increases the costs to 13 €ct/kWh and increases the CO2-emissions in the overall energy supply system by decreasing renewable electricity infeed into the grid.