District Heating and geothermal district heating in Iceland
District heating has become the
favored method of heating in many cities in Europe. It has also risen in
popularity and use throughout much of the rest of the world. This idea is
actually more than 100 years old. It started in 1903 in Moscow, Frederiksberg
and Copenhagen, all in the same year.
District heating systems as a
modern concept were designed and introduced in the 1980's (with constant
breakthroughs since then), with automatic control, remote monitoring and
unmanned operations. The concept binds together available heat sources which
otherwise would be wasted for heating or to produce cooling.
Many district heating networks use
cogeneration, or combined heat and power (CHP). Cogeneration is the production
and use of electricity and heat simultaneously from a given power source. The
sources for CHP typically are: heat from waste incineration, waste from power
production, industrial waste and biofuel boilers. Solar and geothermal energy
are sources of renewable energy that are also used. The market has further
developed through the conversion of natural gas into the district heating
supply to customers.
For any modern city with a
dense population, this type of system offers the most significant contribution
to ensuring energy efficiency that's readily available. District heating is
used in many cities (especially in Europe), but needs to be used more in major
cities throughout the world.
Geothermal District Heating in Iceland
Situated directly on the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is one of the most geothermally active locations in
the world. The country experiences moderate summers and often bone-chilling
winters. An environmentally friendly solution, that takes advantage of the
country's geographic position, while meeting the unique needs of the residents
and businesses dealing with the often chilly climate, is sensible.
The use of geothermal district heating in Iceland began nearly 100 years ago. Over the past 84 years, the
country and its citizens have worked diligently to perfect the system. The
people and government have transformed Iceland into one of the global leaders
of this. The capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, kicked things off in 1930 with a
small elementary school and an infant version of the technology.
Today, the city provides heat
to 95% of the over 120,000 population with geothermal district heating. The
remaining 5% is supplied by some traditional methods, as well as geothermal
power, affording residential and business owners the option of electric heating
and space heating.
Outside of Reykjavik, the use
of geothermal district heating in Iceland is widespread. Almost 90% of the
heating and hot water in the country is provided via geothermal heating, while
petroleum, coal and other sources make up the remaining percentage; however
Iceland also uses geothermal power as over 50% of its energy source, some of
which goes towards electric heating systems.
