District Heat Seminar: Experience and Expertise from Denmark and Nottingham

The latest APSE Energy event was held in association with Nottingham City Council and the Danish Board of District Heating on Tuesday. The Danes are world experts in district heating having responded to the oil crisis in 1973 by taking a nationwide decision to invest in district heating. They are now in a position where district heating networks provide heat to 67% of Danish homes. Most are owned by the customers with some municipally owned and some by private companies.

Nottingham City Council own and manage the largest heating network in the UK so they too know what they are talking about. The message from the event was simple – the technology of district heating is tried and tested and it will be appropriate for many localities. It is one way of tackling fuel poverty and switching the fuel source is an option.

There are opportunities for heat from mine water too and this is another project being taken forward in Nottingham. BEIS has a fund for feasibility work for local authorities so district heating is certainly an area to be considered especially in relation to large housing and commercial developments