Planning
Supply area, planning phases and project workflow
Planning a heat network proceeds from analysing the supply area through the concept and design phases to construction. Early decisions on connection density, routes and generation site shape the project's economics and permitting. This topic area frames the supply area, planning phases and project workflow.
3 articles in this category
Supply Area and Heat Demand Density
Heat demand density, connection density, and key customers: Criteria for delineating the supply area of thermal networks
Planning Phases of Thermal Networks
Planning phases of thermal networks: From the supply area through design to operation. The six steps of district heating network planning at a glance.
Software for Heat Planning and Heat Networks: an Overview
Software for municipal heat planning and district energy concepts: tool categories from heat cadastre to network simulation, with data, results and phases.
Overview: Planning
The articles in this topic area outline how a heat network project is structured from the first idea to operation and which questions have to be answered in which phase. They are aimed at municipalities, utilities and engineering offices preparing a feasibility study or moving a project into the design phase.
The starting point is the analysis of the supply area: heat demand density, the identification of key customers and the expected connection density indicate whether an area is suitable for a heat network and how high the distribution losses will be. These figures are also input data for network design and economic analysis.
The article on the planning phases of thermal networks describes the sequence from preliminary study through conceptual design, detailed design, tendering and award to construction, initial operational optimization and long-term operation – including quality assurance across all phases. The topic areas network design, heat generation and economics go into the details of the individual phases.