A technical guide to district heating (FB 72)
BRE (Building Research Establishment) is an independent, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, operating in the built environment and associated industries.
On 2 December 2014, BRE published A technical guide to district heating (FB 72) by Robin Wiltshire, Jonathan Williams and Paul Woods.
District heating (DH) allows centralised heat sources to be connected to distributed heat consumers. Typically it comprises; one or more energy centres, the pipe network, and connections to consumers. The high heat loads compared to individual, independent systems allow economies of scale and smoother demand, leading to more efficient operation of the energy centre. It also allows the use of heat sources that would not be viable at a smaller scale.
FB 72 presents comprehensive information outlining system and component design, operation and maintenance. The 54 page guide is largely an update of Good Practice Guide 234, Guide to community heating and CHP, but it has been extended to emphasise the importance of other low-carbon sources of heat other than combined heat and power (CHP) including thermal renewable energy.
The guide focuses on technical rather than financial issues and will be useful for anyone involved in the technical aspects of district heating networks, whether on new or refurbishment schemes.
Its contents include:
- Executive summary.
- Introduction.
- What is district heating?
- System design.
- Component design.
- Operations and maintenance.
- References.
- Relevant standards, codes of practice and publications.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- BRE articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- BRE Buzz articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- BSRIA guide to heat interface units.
- Building Research Establishment.
- Combined heat and power.
- Community energy network.
- Geothermal energy.
- Heat interface units.
- Heat meter.
- Heat Networks Investment Project HNIP.
- Municipal energy - briefing sheet.
- National heat map.
- Water source heat map.
- What can government do about district heating.
Featured articles and news
How to get results with building life cycle assessment.
Government publishes a prospectus inviting proposals for new 'garden communities'.
The Morandi motorway bridge in Genoa collapses during rainstorm while undergoing maintenance works.
'Developed design' is a phrase coined by the RIBA for their 2013 Plan of Work. But what does it actually mean?
New green paper published aiming to rebalance the relationship between landlords and residents and tackle stigma.
RIBA calls for a comprehensive ban on combustible materials.
Lump sum contracts can be referred to as ‘fixed price’ contracts, although strictly this is not correct. Find out more here.
Ramboll offer guidance to civil engineers on how to make projects 'off-site ready'.
Government announces its Rough Sleeping Strategy, with further funding for social housing.
An overlooked architect who deserves to be celebrated for his wide range of buildings.
The Home Quality Mark ONE technical manuals for new homes are now available.