A method for calculating reduced supply and return temperatures in district heating networks for the purpose of energy transformation

Robert Sekret1, Arkadiusz Lipiński2

1Wydział Infrastruktury i Środowiska, Politechnika Częstochowska

2Specjalista z zakresu sieci i węzłów ciepłowniczych

Ciepłownictwo Ogrzewnictwo Wentylacja, 2026 (2), 3-8, DOI: https://doi.org/10.65545/COW.2026.02.01

Keywords: district heating system, improving energy efficiency, lowering temperatures, thermal modernization of buildings

Abstract

This paper presents an algorithm for calculating the reduced nominal supply and return temperatures of a district heating system. To achieve this, the thermal and flow excess of the district heating system, as well as the reduction in heat demand resulting from the thermal modernization of buildings, were considered. The research was conducted on a district heating system with an initial heat output of 327 MW. This system effectively reduced the supply temperature from 150°C to 118°C and the return temperature from 80°C to 60°C. This reduction in temperature allowed for a 19% improvement in the efficiency of transmitting and regulating the district heating network, without exceeding the nominal heat carrier flow rate. The algorithm was confirmed to be a useful tool for assessing the readiness of a given district heating system to implement fourth-generation district heating.

Download the article in PDF format

Download the entire issue in PDF format

Bibliography

Agner, F., Trabert, U., Rantzer, A., & Orozaliev, J. (2025). A data-based comparison of methods for reducing the peak flow rate in a district heating system. Smart Energy, 17, 100168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.segy.2024.100168

Averfalk, H., Benakopoulos, T., Best, I., Dammel, F., Engel, C., Geyer, R., Gudmundsson, O., Lygnerud, K., Nord, N., Oltmanns, J., Ponweiser, K., Schmidt, D., Schrammel, H., Skaarup Østergaard, D., Svendsen, S., Tunzi, M., & Werner,
S. (2021). Low-temperature district heating implementation guidebook: Final report of IEA DHC Annex TS2: Implementation of low-temperature district heating systems (K. Lygnerud & S. Werner, Eds.). Fraunhofer Verlag. https://
www.iea-dhc.org/fileadmin/documents/Annex_TS2/IEA_DHC_Annex_TS2_Transition_to_low_temperature_DH.pdf

Averfalk, H., Werner, S., Felsmann, C., Rühling, K., Wiltshire, R., Svendsen, S., Li, H., Faessler, J., Mermoud, F., & Quiquerez, L. (2017). Transformation roadmap: District heating and cooling systems (IEA-DHC Annex XI Final Report). International Energy Agency – District Heating and Cooling. https://www.iea-dhc.org/fileadmin/documents/Annex_XI/IEA-DHC-Annex_XI_Transformation_Roadmap_Final_Report_April_30-2017.pdf

Brange, L., Sernhed, K., & Thern, M. (2019). Method for addressing bottleneck problems in district heating networks. International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management, 20. https://doi.org/10.5278/ijsepm.2020.19.4

Capone, M., Guelpa, E., & Verda, V. (2023). Potential for supply temperature reduction of existing district heating substations. Energy, 285, 128597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.128597

Lund, R. S., Østergaard, D. S., Yang, X., & Mathiesen, B. V. (2017). Comparison of low-temperature district heating concepts in a long-term energy system perspective. International journal of sustainable energy planning and management, 12, 5-18. https://doi.org/10.5278/ijsepm.2017.12.2

Millar, M. A., Yu, Z., Burnside, N., Jones, G., & Elrick, B. (2021). Identification of key performance indicators and complimentary load profiles for 5th generation district energy networks. Applied Energy, 291, 116672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116672

Su, L., Nie, T., Ho, C. O., Yang, Z., Calvez, P., Jain, R. K., & Schwegler, B. (2022). Optimizing pipe network design and central plant positioning of district heating and cooling System: A Graph-Based Multi-Objective genetic algorithm approach. Applied Energy, 325, 119844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.119844

Yang, J., Peng, M., Zhao, T., & Cui, M. (2023). Modeling and validation of a novel load model considering uncertain thermal disturbance in the district heating system. Energy and Buildings, 289, 113055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113055