DeRiskDH – Risk mitigation in decarbonization of urban heating networks through grid temperature reductions and flexibility use

The DeRiskDH project focuses on mitigating risks in the decarbonization of urban heating networks by reducing grid temperatures and utilizing energy flexibility. Austria aims for climate neutrality by 2040, but only 48 % of current district heating comes from renewable sources. Urban areas like Vienna, Graz, Linz, and Salzburg primarily rely on natural gas-based combined heat and power plants, which need to transition towards renewable sources like heat pumps, waste heat, solar, and geothermal energy. This change requires significant changes to the infrastructure in order to meet the growing demand for heat in the long term. This involves large and potentially risky investments.

DeRiskDH aims to address the challenges in integrating alternative heat sources into heating grids, specifically by optimizing building heating systems, improving grid hydraulics, enabling bidirectional operation, and incorporating seasonal energy storage. The project seeks to minimize high investment costs and uncertainties, such as fluctuating energy prices and the availability of alternative heat sources.

The project will also develop a catalogue of building optimization measures, innovative business models, technical solutions for long-term storage, and methodologies for quantifying uncertainties, all contributing to resilient decarbonization strategies.