Revisiting Steam Heating in District Systems: A Necessity Beyond Efficiency
Mike Hassaballa, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., CEM
Energy Engineering | Consulting | Business Operations
Continuing our exploration of heating systems, let's delve into why using electricity for steam generation in district heating can still be a viable option, despite the efficiency concerns.
Legacy Systems and Practicality: Many existing buildings are already equipped with steam-based systems. Retrofitting these with alternatives like heat pumps may not always be feasible due to structural or financial constraints.
The Power of Steam: Steam's high energy density makes it particularly effective for large buildings or industrial applications, where it can deliver the necessary heat efficiently.
Considering the Alternatives: While newer technologies offer improved efficiency, they might not be suitable in every scenario. Sometimes, the practicality of leveraging existing steam systems outweighs the potential efficiency gains from a complete system overhaul.
As we continue our journey through the world of heating solutions, it's important to recognize that sometimes, the best choice is to work with what we already have. What are your thoughts on the use of steam in district heating systems, especially in the context of retrofitting existing infrastructures?
President at Applied Engineering Consulting
7 个月Hello Mike, my exergy analysis indicates that district steam heating efficiency and high temperature water is similar, but ~ 25% higher than low temperature hot water. Furthermore, there are several options to improve district steam heating to excel district hot water heating. I'll be glad to discuss this findings if you are interested. Igor Zhadanovsky, PhD AEC
National Consultant Specialist at Spirax Sarco
9 个月A great post : The first step towards low / zero carbon thermal energy should always be optimising the exisiting network for quick wins today. It is only then that we can benchmark our true demand and then take the appropriate steps to move away from heavy-carbon fuel.