Bachelor Thesis: Structured Cost Inventory of District Heating Investment Components

AEE INTEC

AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE INTEC) is a non-university research institute founded in 1988. AEE INTEC currently employs around 90 people from more than fifteen nations and continuously awards dissertations, master’s theses and internships. AEE INTEC works in the fields of „Buildings“, „Cities and Networks“, „Technology Development“ and „Industrial Systems“ on fundamental and application-oriented research in national and international R&D projects in cooperation with universities, colleges, other research institutions and industry.

Research Project

This Bachelor’s thesis is embedded in the European project ENABLE DHC, which aims to support the transformation of District Heating and Cooling (DHC) systems toward more sustainable, renewable-based, and efficient operations. Within Task T3.1 – Strategic Investment Planning, it is essential to access structured and reliable investment cost data for typical DHC infrastructure components. This data feeds into simplified techno-economic models used by municipalities and stakeholders to assess modernization scenarios.

Outline of the Bachelor Thesis

The main objective of the thesis is to compile a structured dataset of component-level investment costs for DHC systems. The focus will be on typical elements such as pipelines, substations, thermal storage, and heat generation units. The student will:

• Collect and review cost data from literature, reports, and past project sources,
• Standardize entries by type, unit (€/m, €/MW, €/unit), and context (urban/rural),
• Categorize cost types (CAPEX/OPEX),
• Document sources and conditions for use in Excel or database-ready format.

The final dataset will support cost estimation tools developed within ENABLE DHC and ensure consistency across investment scenario evaluations.

We expect…

• Interest in energy infrastructure and sustainable heating technologies
• Good command of Excel or similar data tools
• A careful and structured working style
• Background in mechanical engineering, energy engineering, or a related field

We offer…

• Paid Bachelor thesis, embedded in a current European research project
• Intensive support from experienced researchers in the field of thermal energy technologies
• Planned duration: 3 months, Start: from now on, Place of realization: Gleisdorf, Austria

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