Page 24 - Guidelines for cities to achieve carbon Net Zero through digital transformation

District heating system for buildings

District heating is a centralized heating system that supplies heat to multiple buildings or facilities
through a network of insulated pipes. Instead of individual heating units in each building, district
heating uses a central heat source to produce and distribute hot water or steam, which is then
circulated through the network to provide heating and sometimes hot water to connected buildings.

Copenhagen, Denmark, is a prime example of an energy-efficient district heating system. The
city has implemented an innovative district heating infrastructure that harnesses waste heat from
various sources, including power plants, waste incineration and industrial processes. This waste
heat, which would otherwise be released into the environment, is captured and utilized to generate
hot water for heating purposes.

The advanced technology and infrastructure invested in by Copenhagen allow for the efficient
distribution of this captured heat to residential and commercial buildings throughout the city. By
using waste heat as a primary heat source, Copenhagen's district heating system has achieved
significant reductions in the city's reliance on fossil fuels for heating, contributing to a more
sustainable and environmentally-friendly solution (Danish Energy Agency, 2023).

Figure 6: Copenhagen’s Copenhill waste-to-energy plant, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group

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