The ongoing digitalisation of the district heating sector, particularly the installation of smart heat meters (SHMs), is generating data with unprecedented extent and temporal resolution. This data offers potential insights into heat energy use at a large scale, supporting policymakers and district heating utility companies in transforming the building sector. Clustering is crucial for representing this wealth of data in human-understandable groups, necessitating consideration of seasonality.

Advancing current research in clustering SHM data, this work applies an established co-clustering approach, FunLBM, considering seasonal variation without fixed season definitions. Furthermore, to enhance the understanding of differentiating factors between clusters, the possibility to understand cluster memberships based on 26 building characteristics was analysed using classification and variable selection methods.

Applying FunLBM on a large-scale hourly dataset from single-family houses revealed six well-separated energy use clusters each distributed over six-temporal clusters, which are correlated with the exterior temperature, yet not following fixed seasons. Variable selection and classification showed that building characteristics describing the building with a high level of detail are insufficient to explain cluster membership (Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC) ~0.3).

By merging the energy use clusters based on profile and magnitude similarities, classification performance significantly improved (MCC ~¨0.5). In both cases, simple and readily available building characteristics yield similar insights to detailed ones, emphasising their cost-effectiveness and practicality.

The transition to smart and decarbonized energy systems calls for active involvement from all energy sectors. To meet the conditions of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the entire energy supply chain, encompassing production, distribution, and consumption, must contribute and collaborate. In the recent energy crisis, resilience and Demand Response (DR) in the District Heating (DH) systems have gained international interest.

Although numerous simulation studies and a few demonstrations, conducted in controlled real-life environments, have documented the potential benefits of DR, there is still limited understanding of the approach DH professionals take toward DR.

This work presents the results of a 17-question survey conducted with DH professionals in seven European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland) to gain insights into the existing practices, rationalities, barriers, legal framework and needed developments for the large-scale roll-out of DR in the DH sector.

In total 30 responses were collected. The results show, that DH professionals lack clear evidence of the advantage of distributed storage over centralized solutions. Control, ownership, responsibilities, and security are the topics that hinder the use of DR in everyday operation of DH systems. Moreover, there is a lack of business models for how to price the customers for delivered flexibility. The lack of a well-formulated and clear legal framework is also an additional obstacle.

Contribution to the Smart Energy Systems conference (SESAAU2024).

District heating is recognised as a key technology for the efficient integration of renewable energy and waste heat sources into our energy systems. For district heating management, demand-side management is seen as a promising technical solution. Various research activities show that the application of this technical solution leads to significant cost and emission reductions, thus contributing to the decarbonisation of the heat supply in buildings.

To demonstrate novel concepts and technologies for demand side management in thermal networks, case studies are compiled and analysed. The cases reflect different levels of technology readiness for both new and existing buildings, as well as laboratory systems. For the evaluation, different key parameters are collected. These parameters include, for example, building characteristics, energy storage options, thermal network specification and type of demand side management approaches. Other detailed technical and non-technical information (e.g. energy supply scheme, business model) is also recorded. The publication presents the main findings of the evaluation of the different case studies, the lessons learnt and the recommendations for action.

The lessons learnt from the case studies on technologies, buildings or districts will help to facilitate and improve demand side management in district heating systems in the future. The resulting recommendations for action will support the implementation and transferability of the recommendations to research and industry stakeholders.

The work carried out presents the results of the collaborative research work within the IEA EBC Annex 84 on Demand Management of Buildings in Thermal Networks.

Contribution to the Smart Energy Systems conference (SESAAU2024).

The digital infrastructures of both buildings and the 4th Generation District Heating (4GDH) system are critical for enabling a variety of improved energy management and services across the network. Implementing a digitalization solution requires setting up a comprehensive infrastructure, which includes deploying a large number of sensors throughout the system and establishing their connections in a machine-readable format. This setup is crucial for facilitating automated data management, enabling advanced data analyses, and supporting the development of smart services. Semantic interoperability in buildings and 4GDH is a central theme of this critical review. Semantic Interoperability refers to the ability of different systems and organizations to communicate and operate seamlessly together, which is foundational for optimizing energy efficiency and advancing decarbonization efforts. In the context of digitalized energy systems, semantic interoperability works on the harmonization of digital infrastructures across buildings and 4GDH. This enables not only the real-time exchange of data but also the synchronized management of energy flows to meet dynamic demands efficiently. For instance, through interoperable systems, buildings can adjust their energy consumption based on real-time data from 4GDH, leading to significant enhancements in energy conservation and reductions in carbon emissions. This paper reviews the current state of semantic interoperability in buildings and 4GDH, focusing on how digitalization serves as the backbone for these interactions. It examines various methodologies and technologies that have been developed to enhance interoperability, assesses their effectiveness, and identifies gaps and challenges in current practices. Through this analysis, the review aims to highlight how improved interoperability can lead to better energy management solutions that are crucial for achieving greater energy efficiency and meeting global decarbonization targets.

Contribution to the Smart Energy Systems conference (SESAAU2024).

The decentralized energy techniques like heat pumps and storages are increasingly applied to ensure the balance between supply and demand. However, rather than barely meeting the demand, the need for zero energy buildings in the EU landscape aims to respond to the fluctuations and stabilize the grid by developing sector coupling between thermal and electricity systems. Accordingly, demand side thermal energy flexibility plays a key role in enhancing the stability of the power grid. Moreover, as the district heating transition towards fifth generation, the supply temperature can be reduced to 40 degC, which faces challenge when peak load occurs. Hence, the coupling also contributes to the peak shaving in district heating networks. Due to efficient coupling of the thermal and electricity sectors, power-to-heat (P2H) assets such as heat pumps as well as electric boilers play an increasingly important role in unlocking flexibility, both as boosters of the district heating network or stand-alone devices. However, there is a research gap in comprehensively analyzing the flexibility potential in such sector coupling networks. This study aims to develop a data-driven demand response strategy for such power-heat coupling systems, and the flexibility potential will be analyzed thoroughly through simulation from a district heating connected energy community in Großschönau, Austria. Furthermore, novel midterm storage solutions, such as phase change materials (PCM), will be considered to incorporate with district heating and P2H assets.

Contribution to the Smart Energy Systems conference (SESAAU2024).

This brochure aims to showcase a selection of case studies that illustrate various ways of implementing demand side management in buildings connected to thermal networks. It presents 15 detailed case studies, all integral parts of the comprehensive research project. Each case study is thoroughly examined, covering aspects such as research objectives, collaboration models, and demand response control mechanisms. Furthermore, it describes the results and conclusions of each study, highlighting valuable lessons learned and best practices observed throughout the project duration.