Influence of a Decentralized Heat Supply on the Electrical Grid of a Campus Quarter

The central objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of thermal decentralization on the electrical grid of a real campus. First, the electrical as well as the thermal grid is introduced. As a first step towards the thermal decentralization, different degrees of decentralization are derived from the thermal load profile of the consumers. The aim of this analysis is the concrete allocation of heat pumps of defined sizes to existing buildings on the campus. The usage of heat pumps within the thermal grid has numerous advantages but can also have a negative impact on the supplying electrical grid. These effects are analyzed using a grid model of a real university campus. Scenarios with different share of distributed heat pumps are defined and compared. The objectives are to identify critical network operation due to the use of heat pumps by evaluating the loading of cables and transformers as well as the compliance with the prescribed voltage range.