Mapping software for the optimum district heating route

EnergyVille’s software for route determination defines the ideal cluster for your district heating from a collection of potential heating consumers and potential heating suppliers. The software calculates this completely automatically by mapping out the location of consumers and suppliers on a digital map (GIS) together with their annual energy consumption. The mathematical optimum district heating route and the optimum dimensions for the connections are also determined.

Advantages

In order to keep the investment costs of district heating affordable, the construction costs must be kept to a minimum.

Application

  • evaluating/optimising/expanding/modernising existing district heating
  • determining the site of a new district heating network
  • mapping out new district heating

Client

  • project developers
  • engineering offices
  • energy consultants
  • network distribution managers
  • district heating managers
  • cities and municipalities
  • government authorities
  • energy producers

Process

1. READING IN GEOGRAPHICAL DATA
  • Street map
  • Building map with functions and annual heating needs

Result: a digital map connecting all heating suppliers, consumers and intermediary nodes.

2. REDUCING CALCULATION TIME

We delete

  • the dead ends in the map
  • impossible routes

Result: a simplified map

3. OPTIMISATION

The software determines the ideal network based on generic algorithms: it takes a random route and compares it with a number of (small) alterations. The software then evaluates the various alterations and chooses the best one. The ‘best’ is subsequently altered and compared until the ideal configuration has been found. Each route is evaluated according to: Efficiency – Pressure loss – Debit – Distance

Result: a map of the optimum route for this district heating

4. RESULT
  • an optimised digital map for this district heating
  • an overview of the costs per interval (year/month/etc.)

Contact at EnergyVille
Erik De Schutter
Business Developer Thermal Energy Systems at EnergyVille/VITO