Page 62 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2016 publication

62 Summer 2016 European Energy Innovation
HEATING & COOLING
Understanding the true costs of the
heat energy we consume
By Alexandra Latham, EGEC
Whether private citizens,
public authorities, or rate, with stable costs, local resources, high ratio of the heat delivered to the
industry, heating and
cooling represents
a significant part of final energy
consumption of every sector of society.
Whilst the demand profile of each
is different, all have the same basic
demands: to be able to have a steady,
secure, and sustainable supply of
thermal energy.
This is undoubtedly possible.
Renewable energy sources can already
Manifold of the gshp heating and cooling system in the ümraniye shopping centre, Turkey.
deliver heating and cooling at a steady
and without the need to inefficiently
convert energy into electricity first.
The technology to turn geothermal,
solar, and biomass sources has
developed rapidly in recent years and
can deliver energy for a huge range of
applications.
For example, ground source heat
pumps (GSHP) were recently
recognised as one of the most efficient
heating devices in the new EU energy
efficiency rating scheme because of the
total electrical energy supplied over the
year, known as Seasonal Performance
Factor (SPF); the ratio is today above 4
and is heading towards 5.
In innovative smart grids, geothermal
resources can be used for base load
district heating and district cooling,
whilst CHP plants can adapt the share
of heat or power produced depending
on demand. Shallow geothermal can
also be used, with thermal energy
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