DISTRICT HEATING	03/03/2008
	District Heating – part of the solution to the climate change challenges District heating, as we know it today, is more than 100 years old. It started in 1903 in Moscow and in Frederiksberg – Copenhagen - the same year. During the years, district heating became the favoured method of heating in many cities in Denmark. With the fuel supply crises in Denmark in the 1970ies, widespread support was given to district heating as a way of increasing energy efficiency and reducing dependency on imported fuels. District heating systems as a modern concept were designed and introduced in the 1980ies, with automatic control, remote monitoring and un-manned operations. Today district heating covers about 60% of the heat demand in Denmark through more than 400 district heating companies all over the country. The district heating concept binds together available heat sources in society which otherwise would be wasted and utilise the heat where needed, either for heating or to produce cooling. The heat sources are typically heat from waste incineration, waste heat from the power production, industrial waste heat and from biofuel boilers. Traditional boilers fuelled by oil, coal and natural gas, form peak and reserve load heat supply. The technical development and the increase of market shares are still ongoing. Solar and geothermic heats are sources added to the systems and the market has developed through conversion of the natural gas market into district heating supply to customers. For any modern society with a dense population, a district heating supply offers the most significant contribution to ensuring energy efficiency and is therefore a part of the solution to the present climate change problem. Grontmij | Carl Bro has been part of the development of modern district heating in Denmark and internationally with consultancy services. Please see the selected references.