In the EU, about half of all gross final energy consumption is used for heating and cooling. The share of renewable energy used for heating and cooling is still limited accounting for around 24,8% in 2022. District heating networks showed to be a valid solution to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources as waste heat, thereby enhancing energy efficiency. In the same way these networks can bring significant improvements also in the cooling sector. In this study, we propose a novel network configuration for urban district cooling network that will increase energy efficiency while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This study explores the feasibility of implementing district cooling systems exploiting industrial waste heat for cold energy production, in an urban-industrial symbiosis approach. By converting waste heat into useful cooling energy, this approach aims to enhance energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact while bringing good economic performances to the stakeholders involved. To this purpose a multi-objective optimization problem, based on a genetic algorithm, is developed to identify optimal system configuration pursuing the trade-off between economic gains and environmental benefits. The results indicate that utilizing waste heat for district cooling can significantly lower operational costs of the system and greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional cooling methods by reducing fossil energy sources reliance. The suggested renewable cooling approach represents an innovative and sustainable solution that could enhance energy efficiency in domestic cooling sector promoting local renewable energy utilization. The proposed model represents a flexible tool that, with minor adjustments, could be applied to other case studies. This versatility makes it particularly valuable for policymakers and stakeholders, as it can support decision-making processes and the development of effective strategies in various contexts.
SDEWES 2025 - Conference on Sustainable Developement of Energy, Water and Environment Systems
Mattia Cottes;Antonella Meneghetti;Patrizia Simeoni
2025-01-01
Abstract
In the EU, about half of all gross final energy consumption is used for heating and cooling. The share of renewable energy used for heating and cooling is still limited accounting for around 24,8% in 2022. District heating networks showed to be a valid solution to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources as waste heat, thereby enhancing energy efficiency. In the same way these networks can bring significant improvements also in the cooling sector. In this study, we propose a novel network configuration for urban district cooling network that will increase energy efficiency while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This study explores the feasibility of implementing district cooling systems exploiting industrial waste heat for cold energy production, in an urban-industrial symbiosis approach. By converting waste heat into useful cooling energy, this approach aims to enhance energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact while bringing good economic performances to the stakeholders involved. To this purpose a multi-objective optimization problem, based on a genetic algorithm, is developed to identify optimal system configuration pursuing the trade-off between economic gains and environmental benefits. The results indicate that utilizing waste heat for district cooling can significantly lower operational costs of the system and greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional cooling methods by reducing fossil energy sources reliance. The suggested renewable cooling approach represents an innovative and sustainable solution that could enhance energy efficiency in domestic cooling sector promoting local renewable energy utilization. The proposed model represents a flexible tool that, with minor adjustments, could be applied to other case studies. This versatility makes it particularly valuable for policymakers and stakeholders, as it can support decision-making processes and the development of effective strategies in various contexts.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
