About Upgrade DH

The Upgrade DH project aims to improve the performance of district heating networks in Europe by supporting selected demonstration cases for upgrading, which can be replicated in Europe.

More specifically, the objectives of the Upgrade DH project are:

• To initiate the DH upgrading process (retrofitting approaches) for eight district heating systems (heat generation, heat distribution, and heat use) up to the investment stage. The upgrading process includes efficiency measures, the integration of renewable energies, and the sector coupling. The level of decision making reached in the upgrading processes of each demo case will be carefully monitored.
• To save, by initiating the eight demo cases, more than 190 GWh/a primary energy and of 77,000 t CO2equiv. GHG emissions.
• To increase the share of waste/residual heat (currently 7 % in the demo cases) by more than 6 % and the share of renewable heat (currently 28 % in the demo cases) by more than 20 % in the eight demo cases and beyond.
• To replicate the proposed upgrading solutions across Europe through multiplication associations that are consortium partners as well as through the European Innovation and Technology Platforms (ETIPs).
• To develop regional / national action plans for the retrofitting of district heating networks by including the results of the retrofitting approaches.