Reimagining Heat
HeatGrid Ireland is leading Ireland’s district heating sector as it evolves to supply up to 50% of heat demand in buildings by 2050.
We accelerate the energy transition in Ireland by developing, financing, building, and operating efficient, low carbon district heating networks to support local communities and businesses with affordable, reliable and low carbon heat.
We deliver district heating projects from the very beginning, at concept design, all the way through to operation, including the initial development work (such as planning and licensing), construction, and ongoing operations.
How We Develop Heat Networks
Development
Identify the right site
Secure planning & licenses
Enter contracts
Construction
Connect the Energy Centre
Build the Energy Network
Connect to individual buildings
Operation
Direct customer billing
Operating the Network
Network Monitoring & Maintenance
Energy Centre
Heat Supply
As hot water is the transfer medium in district heating, a large variety of sources can be used to supply heat.
The most common form of supply is ‘surplus heat’ which is heat that is currently being discarded by existing facilities such as power plants, waste incinerators, and industry.
Renewable heat can also be used to heat hot water with the most common sources being geothermal energy, often via air or water based heat pumps, bioenergy and solar thermal.
Buildings
Heat Consumer
At the end of the pipe there is a heat exchanger which transfers the heat from the network into the final consumer premises.
In the majority of cases this is a building which requires space heating and hot water, but in some cases it may also be for industrial process heat.
The heat exchanger is often referred to as a substation and it is typically placed in the same location where a central boiler would be placed in a building.
Pipes
Heat Network
A series of pre-insulated pipes connects the heat supply to the end consumer.
Hot water is pumped through the pipes at an entry temperature of approximately 60-80 degrees Celsius and received back from the network at a temperature approximately 20-30 degrees below this.
