Energy Assessment Technique for Retrofit Mine-water District Heat Network

Abstract

UK buildings and energy infrastructures are heavily dependent on natural gas, a large proportion of which is used for space heating. Much of the UKs’ gas is imported, therefore a wholesale shift in energy provision is required in order to meet government targets for reducing carbon emissions and improving energy security, without impacting on thermal comfort levels, convenience or cost of supply to the end user. Heat pumps are a potential alternative for modern well insulated homes, however this is not necessarily true of a large proportion of British housing stock which was built prior to 1919. Increasing energy efficiency of older properties remains a significant challenge, which cannot be achieved through insulation and air-tightness interventions alone. This paper investigates the energy demand of pre-1919 dwellings using a holistic surveying approach to provide a more accurate assessment of total household heat demand, and reports on the analysis of eight properties. This information is used to assess the feasibility of using water from disused mine workings to supply a heat pump based, district heat network. The use of renewable solar energy generation and storage technologies, to reduce the heat load and offset increased electricity demand, are also considered.