Blogs

World’s largest sand battery switched on in Finland; stores heat for entire town

By District Energy posted 2 hours ago
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Hindustan Times Summary Finland has started up the world’s largest sand battery in Pornainen. This new system stores renewable energy as heat in crushed soapstone, keeping homes warm. Lithium batteries get all the attention, but they’re costly and come with their own environmental baggage. The Finnish team at Polar Night Energy decided to go back to basics and use sand, which is often just industrial waste from fireplace factories. The sand sits in a silo, and when there’s surplus electricity, a current is passed through, heating the sand up to a scorching 400 to 500 degrees Celsius. Thanks to clever insulation, the sand holds onto that heat for weeks, ...
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Coupling heat pumps with district heating

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pv magazine Summary A group of scientists from Sweden has evaluated the efficiency of five multi-family buildings using hybrid systems that combine exhaust air heat pumps with district heating. “This study uniquely evaluates system performance under newly introduced dynamic tariff structures, demonstrating significant energy and cost savings,” researcher Katarina Rupar-Gadd told pv magazine . “The research fills a gap in empirical studies on demand-side management by offering actionable insights into optimizing heating operations based on local pricing models.” The analysis showed that residents were able to save up to €2,768 ($3,159) compared ...
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Stadium in Austria now hosting Europe’s largest PVT system

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pv magazine Summary Ferry-Dusika-Hallenstadion, an indoor arena in Vienna, will soon reopen as a new sports stadium following a renovation that included the installation of more than 1,130 PVT hybrid modules from German manufacturer Sunmaxx . Partner companies Wagner Solar GmbH, Fortuna Solar eG, and FIN – Future is Now Kuster Energielösungen GmbH were responsible for the installation and planning, Sunmaxx said this week. The PVT system is combined with geothermal energy and brine heat pumps. Once operational, it will provide the building with “efficient, climate-neutral, and cost-effective electricity and heat,” the company stated. The PVT modules ...
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Beijing's decade-long battle for cleaner air

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Beijing Review Summary Beijing recorded 290 days of good air quality in 2024, according to a May 9 announcement by the municipal government. This marks the highest number since 2013, when the city launched its current air quality monitoring system. However, efforts to tackle the issue got underway much earlier. Starting in the early 2000s, Beijing launched its coal-to-electricity program for clean heating. Xicheng District pioneered this effort, specifically targeting residents in low-rise neighborhoods within conservation areas that lacked access to centralized heating. Beijing's centralized heating system is a government-managed district ...
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Norway approves next phase of Northern Lights CCS project

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gasworld Summary The Norwegian government has approved the second phase of the Northern Lights carbon capture project, a joint venture between TotalEnergies, Equinor, and Shell that’s being developed in Øygarden, Norway. Additionally, the project will transport and store CO2 from Norwegian emitters Hafslund Celsio, a district heating supplier in Oslo, and Heidelberg Materials, a building materials firm in Brevik, as part of the government-supported Longship project. Continue Reading #News #DistrictHeating
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1Energy secures funding for Oxford’s first heat network

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H&V News Summary The company has secured its fourth Government grant for the Oxford Energy Network, which could cut the city’s carbon emissions by 15,000 tonnes a year The Government’s Green Heat Network Fund will grant almost £22m to the company 1Energy for a district heat network in the city. The project, powered by water source heat pumps, will provide heating to some of the city’s most prestigious public sector buildings, explained scheme administrator Triple Points Heat Network Investment Management. Continue Reading #News #DistrictHeating
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An introduction to the next clean energy frontier: Superhot rock and closed-loop geothermal systems

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Clean Air Task Force Summary As of 2024, geothermal has only met about 1% of global energy demand, but recent analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that geothermal has the potential to cost-effectively meet up to 15% of global electricity demand growth through 2050 . The key to this growth is the expansion of next-generation geothermal projects like enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and closed-loop geothermal systems (CLGS) into new regions at lower costs. In CLGS, fluid is contained inside a network of pipes that are heated by contact with the surrounding hot rocks. Thanks to this arrangement, power and thermal energy (e.g., ...
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TRU green projects receive national recognition for sustainability efforts

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Castanet Summary Green projects have netted Thompson Rivers University’s sustainability office more hardware for the trophy case. In a news release, TRU said it earned an honourable mention in the 2025 Canadian Association of University Business Officers Quality and Productivity Awards Program, and was awarded a commemorative plaque on Wednesday at the CAUBO annual conference. The university received the recognition for its Low-Carbon District Energy System , which will transition TRU from natural gas boilers to an electric heating system in most campus buildings, and its PV Solarization project , which has seen to date 570 of 1,400 solar panels ...
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Markham Campus earns LEED Gold for sustainable design

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Education News Canada Summary York University's Markham Campus is earning recognition for more than academic innovation with a recent award for its environmentally conscious design and commitment to a greener future. The building incorporates several sustainable features, including indoor and outdoor water use reduction through low-flow plumbing, demand-based ventilation and lighting, use of sustainable materials, and bird collision deterrence. It is connected to Markham District Energy for heating and cooling, and includes multiple green roofs, underfloor air distribution in lecture halls, and a dedicated outdoor air supply system. Continue Reading ...
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Heat networks should go beyond just heating

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Cooling Post Summary Ahead of the rollout of the UK government’s heat network zones, Alfa Laval has highlighted the necessity for district cooling in a more balanced energy infrastructure. In light of the current rollout only legislating for district heating, Neil Parry, Alfa Laval’s global head of district energy, has highlighted the necessity for district cooling, and how this can create a national district energy infrastructure. The initial rollout of DESNZ’s zoning programme began with the identification of 28 pilot locations where heat networks are likely to grow or be built out in the future. Following this, six areas across the UK – Bristol, Leeds, ...
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UAE integrates solar into district cooling plants

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pv magazine Summary The UAE’s Ministry of Defence has announced the completion of a project integrating solar energy into two district cooling plants serving its facilities in Abu Dhabi. The project is the result of a partnership between the ministry, district cooling company Tabreed and Emerge, a joint venture company owned by Masdar and EDF Group. A partnership agreement between the parties, covering the implementation of solar plants to be operated for 25 years, was signed in 2024. Approximately 4,000 solar panels have been installed at the district cooling plants in Abu Dhabi, supplying the thermal energy storage infrastructure ...
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Empower urges customers to set ACs at 24°C during summer

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Empower Summary Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), the World’s Largest District Cooling Services Provider, has launched its annual summer campaign under the slogan, ‘Set and Save at 24°C’. The campaign aims to reduce electricity consumption for cooling and promote energy efficiency practices as part of the company’s sustainability strategies. For the twelfth consecutive year, the campaign will run until the end of summer, raising awareness among Empower's more than 144,000 customers about the importance of responsible energy usage. This initiative is part of Empower’s broader efforts to support the transition towards ...
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Louisiana Modernizes Energy Grid for Industrial Growth

By District Energy posted yesterday
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E+E Leader Summary In response to surging electricity demand driven by rapid industrial development and the growth of data centers, Louisiana has launched a new task force focused on modernizing its energy infrastructure. The move signals a broader effort to equip the state’s grid for long-term resilience while addressing the evolving needs of large energy consumers. Another central focus is the modernization of Louisiana’s permitting system for energy infrastructure. Stakeholders have pointed to outdated approval processes as a barrier to timely investment, and the task force aims to explore statutory reforms that introduce firm permitting timelines ...
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Brooklyn College Campus of CUNY Commences Geothermal Test Drilling on Campus

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Energy Tech Summary Crews have started drilling a geothermal test well on the campus of Brooklyn College, part of a systemwide plan within the City University of New York to explore viable clean energy options. Under the partnership with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) , through the Decarbonization Leadership Program (DLP), a 500-foot-deep test borehole was drilled to assess the college’s geothermal potential. The program directs NYPA to develop energy and emissions profiles and decarbonization action plans for the state’s carbon-emitting facilities. The heat factor of the earth’s subterranean core offers the possibility of vast amounts of ...
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Biomass power plant in Quebec signs 25-year PPA

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Biomass Magazine Summary St-Félicien Cogeneration Power Plant (SFC), a 22 megawatt (MW) biomass facility located in Saint-Félicien, Quebec, today announces the signing of a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Hydro ‑ Québec, Canada’s largest electric utility and one of the world’s leading hydropower producers. The power plant has a net capacity of approximately 22 MW of electricity, equivalent to powering up to 4,310 homes. The plant also produces steam which is provided to the adjacent sawmill. By using bark – a byproduct of sawmill operations – and residual forest biomass to produce renewable energy, SFC is contributing to emissions reduction ...
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SK Group to Build AI Data Center in Ulsan in Partnership with Amazon

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Business Korea Summary SK Group is set to construct a 100-megawatt (MW) artificial intelligence (AI) dedicated data center in the Mipo National Industrial Complex in Ulsan, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s leading cloud company. This mega-project, involving an investment of several trillion won by the two companies, is expected to become the largest AI-dedicated data center in Korea upon completion. The Mipo National Industrial Complex site is advantageous due to its proximity to SK Gas’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) cogeneration plant, facilitating the large-scale power supply essential for data center operations Continue ...
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North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany increases state subsidy for geothermal heating

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Think GeoEnergy Summary The state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in Germany has increased subsidies for the installation of sustainable heating solutions using geothermal heat pumps. New funding opportunities related to geothermal heating have also been announced. Through the progres.nrw – Climate Protection Technology program, the state of NRW has provided nearly €20 million in funding in 2024 alone, supporting 1250 geothermal energy systems proposed by citizens, municipalities, and companies. Continue Reading #News #GeothermalandGeo-Exchange #DistrictHeating
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OMV to start seismic survey for geothermal project in Graz, Austria by December 2025

By District Energy posted yesterday
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Think GeoEnergy Summary Plans to develop a 140 MWth geothermal heating facility in Graz were first announced earlier this year, to be executed by OMV with Energie Steiermark and Energie Graz. The project targets the drilling of four doublets to a depth of 3,000 to 4,000 meters. The project is currently in the approval phase, during which all necessary regulatory approvals are being obtained to ensure compliance with legal requirements. “Deep geothermal energy, i.e. the use of heat from deep underground, is a central component of OMV’s transformation and offers a promising opportunity to supply households with climate-neutral district heating. With projects ...
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Request for Information: Design and Implementation of Thermal Energy Networks -Joint Base Andrews (JBA) and George Washington University (GWU)

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Request for Information: Design and Implementation of Thermal Energy Networks - Joint Base Andrews (JBA) and George Washington University (GWU) Joint Base Andrews (JBA) and George Washington University (GWU) issue this Request for Information (RFI) for a potential Request for Proposal (RFP) to pilot Thermal Energy Network (TEN) technology on both urban and suburban campuses with distributed energy resources. The goal of this RFI is to gain further information regarding the design and implementation of TENs, focusing on understanding technological requirements, exploring novel energy project finance solutions, and regulatory considerations. This effort ...
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Western Washington University - RFQ - PW830 Heating Conversion/Campus Decarbonization Project

By District Energy posted 2 days ago
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Western Washington University RFQ PW830 Heating Conversion/Campus Decarbonization Project Project: Heating Conversion/Campus Decarbonization Project Western Washington University SOQ Due Date and Time: Proposer’s SOQ shall be submitted no later than: 3:00 PM (PST), July 15th, 2025 This project will replace WWU’s antiquated gas-fired central steam plant and accompanying distribution system. Feasibility study analysis and budgeting exercises to date have reviewed replacing the current system with several smaller independent nodal plants that are not reliant on GHG combustion. Each potential nodal plant could use a combination ...
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