Ranagård with new 4GDH Technology

Panel: 8. Buildings: technologies and systems beyond energy efficiency

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Author:
Heidi Norrström, Halmstad University - School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Sweden

Abstract

From now on, in 2021, new buildings in Sweden must fulfil the nZEB, near Zero Energy Buildings, concept. It implies low mean U-value (Um) of 0.30-0.40 [W/m2 K] in the buildings´ envelopes for obtaining low heat demands according to the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning. Furthermore, the new buildings must have sufficient mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. In addition, the buildings could preferably even be self-sufficient of electricity. In this context, and with a new renovation wave carried through in Europe, a new technique with low-temperature district heating is a smart, even a wise, solution. The technique is based on renewable, recovered, and stored heat.

Halmstad Energi & Miljö, HEM, and the Halmstad University and Malmö University are carrying out a transdisciplinary project in cooperation. In Part 1 of the project HEM is installing district heating for 550 new dwellings in the Ranagård district. The area will have several real estate companies/owners. HEM has planned for a sharp system solution, which use considerably lower temperature than conventional district heating. Halmstad University has developed this network configuration, which so far, never has been tested in full scale. The new technique benefits with lower heat supply costs for using renewable, recovered, and stored heat in future district heating.

The Universities are making two research analyses in addition to this extension. Part 2 of the project aims to survey acceptance, for identifying any hindrance occurring when new technology is introduced. Analyses of interviews within the construction and energy industry will show their decision making in relation to new technical solutions. Part 3 pertains to quality assurance of the new district heating technology, to ensure that this new technology is fully implemented. This paper is a first report on the implementation.

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