bifa Umweltinstitut: Low-temperature district heating network in Meitingen

Putting into service of the heating plant building and start of regular supply operation. At the beginning of September 2018, the heating plant building of the low-temperature district heating network being developed in Marktgemeinde Meitingen was put into service. This also means the start of supply of the first, newly occupied multi-dwelling building (20 dwelling units, 1,500 m²) based on industrial waste heat.

Through the innovative project, which was developed together with ratioplan GmbH and bifa Umweltinstitut, no additional CO₂ emissions will be produced in the new-build area and the use of existing heat is an active contribution to environmental protection.

A large part of the energy for supplying the connected participants comes from the industrial partners SGL Carbon GmbH and SHOWA DENKO CARBON Germany GmbH. This energy is drawn from the cooling water cycle of the factory in Werner-von-Siemens-Straße. To this end, a new heat pipe was laid on the factory site up to the heating plant building. After it has been used for cooling purposes in production, the water circulating in the pipe has a temperature of approx. 31 degrees. This is too low to be used directly for heating purposes or to heat water in all new buildings. The necessary temperature rise is achieved by efficient heating pumps in the buildings’ intake stations. Each intake station includes small heat stores for the purpose of load management. To optimise the system, around one third of the electricity used to operate the heat pumps is produced by photovoltaic systems, which are installed on the roofs of the multi-dwelling buildings of the Meitingen housing association.

The industrial waste heat is made available to the municipality free of charge and the supply with "warm cooling water" is secured contractually for at least 20 years. This means that the heat can be discharged to the new residential units being built in the new-build area on Donauwörther Straße at a competitive price. After completing the development of the whole new-build area, around 170 residential units in multi-dwelling buildings and 14 detached houses will be supplied with heat ecologically and for a stable cost via the municipality’s district heating network.

It is feasible that this concept will be transferred to other areas or existing buildings in the future. The reservoir of waste heat in the 30 degree range is enormous.

from l.: Markus Partik (SGL-Carbon general manager), Michael Higl (mayor of Meitingen) and Markus Hertel (at the time bifa) at the startup of the heating plant building.