7 kWp PV system on the roofs of Lorystraße
PV bench with storage and charging stations
PV system in the project area
Hauffgasse – 350 m2 of solar PV system

Installation of 10 Innovative heat substations to ensure low-return temperatures

Munich Electric-Renewable Energy Sources

General facts

Description & main goal

The geothermal plant in Freiham is running and fully operational since January 2017. The geothermal heat feeding in the municipal district heating covers the base load of thermal power in Neuaubing-Westkreuz (refurbishment area) and Freiham (new urban development area) in the west of Munich. This energy source is also available for existing buildings in the Neuaubing-Westkreuz project area and for the new high energetic efficient urban development area Freiham.
While the initial objective was to install a geothermal plant (GA) with a capacity of 10 MW, current results are outperforming this target and delivering a capacity of 13 MW with 93,5 °C temperature of thermal water and volume of 100 liter/sec. The return temperature is about 60°C.
The ten innovative heat substations ensure low-return temperatures to the district heating grid for its better efficiency.  

Deployment area
Neuaubing-Westkreuz
Involved actors and their role

SWM 
District heating grid owner and operator
https://www.swm.de/

Private owners and municipal buildings 

MGS
Coordination of the topic within Smarter Together (Task Energy)
www.mgs-muenchen.de

Key-contact person
Herbert KOSCHEL - SWM
Hana Riemer
Main challenges & risks
  • Implementation depends on the profitability/cost effectiveness of the measure
  • Owners cannot be forced to give their consent.
Delivery date
M36

Specific facts

Owner of the district heating system

SWM 

Location

Neuaubing-Westkreuz and Freiham

Number of houses connected

7

Power of the connection

2,2 MW

Temperature range (in/out)

Not known

Yearly energy provided

Not known

Date of commissioning

2016-2018

Main challenges & risks
  • Implementation depends on the profitability/cost effectiveness of the measure
  • Owners cannot be forced to give their consent.
Implementation status

In which phase is the project?
Planning phase

What is the current implementation status/ what is the current activity step?    
The project is still within the pre-planning phase. Search for sites to connect to district heating on going.  No innovative heat substation has been installed so far.

Is the implementation process on time or are there any deviations (time wise)? Please outline any changes and reasons.    
The implementation of 10 substations will not be fulfilled until M36.
No (refurbishment) site with suitable (financial) implementation conditions has been found at the moment. Implementation of innovative substation is dependent of new connections to district heating in the area.

Have there been changes regarding the planned solution? Please outline any changes and reasons.    
No change regarding the technical solutions
 

Complete 5%

Risk and challenges

Which risks & challenges is the project currently facing?
  • Low energy prices for gas and oil influence ROI. The investment seems to be less profitable than implementing standard (non-renewable, like gas boilers; less sustainable but more cost effective)
  • Legal constraint for existing buildings: higher costs for heating due to connection to district heating can be claimed by the tenants from the owners
Which are critical or seem invincible? Please provide a detailed description
  • Currently low energy prices and legal situation are in conflict to increase efficiency activities 

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?

Identify financial barriers early and devise strategies

Next steps & To Do ́s

Please shortly outline the next steps planned for the implementation of the project.
Further search for suitable objects to connect to district heating grid and to install innovative heat substation.
Decision support of customers/object owners.

Are there additional steps planned due to occurred challenges? Which corrective activities have been taken?    
Further investigation and research into suitable incentive schemes for new customers to install innovative heat substations
 

Implementation status

In which phase is the project?
Operation phase

What is the current implementation status/ what is the current activity step?    

  • The district heating is fed with geothermal heat since January 2017. 
  • Acquisition of objects to connect to district heating; 
  • No innovative heat substation has so far been installed in existing buildings due to technical issues, economical vialability and legal constraints
  • The installation of innovative heat-substations in the project area to ensure low-return temperatures continues for new buildings (7 objects, 2.200kW)

Is the implementation process on time or are there any deviations (time wise)? Please outline any changes and reasons.    

  • Implementation of innovative substation is depending on new connections to district heating in the area. Existing buildings don´t have suitable (financial) implementation conditions and for this no legal fundament to get implemented.  
  • The project is on time due to delivery in months 36.
Complete 70%

Risk and challenges

Which risks & challenges is the project currently facing?

Although the solution was identified as a suitable technical and energy efficient and renewable measure also for consulted existing objects, economical (legal) aspects don’t appear to be suitable for implementation yet

Which are critical or seem invincible? Please provide a detailed description

The legal situations has not been changed

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?
  • Even existing technical solutions do not work because of high financial and legal barriers 
  • The project area was connected to the district heating only 10 years ago. The buildings which are already connected to the district heating are already equipped with “new” heat substations
  • Ongoing refurbishments have to be calculated individually and their economic and technical suitability needs to be proven     
     
Next steps & To Do ́s

Please shortly outline the next steps planned for the implementation of the project.    

  • Further search for suitable objects to connect to district heating grid and to install innovative heat substation.
  • Decision support for customers/object owners. 
  • Preparing the monitoring/data transfer to the data platform. 
  • Leading the discussion on data privacy with the system provider and the building owners.  

Are there additional steps planned due to occurred challenges? Which corrective activities have been taken?
Further investigation and research into suitable incentive schemes for new customers to install innovative heat substations with the project partner SWM and the consulting team aiming on new objects and existing building and also objects targeting for refurbishment. 

Implementation status

In which phase is the project?
Operation phase

What is the current implementation status/ what is the current activity step?    

  • The district heating is fed with geothermal heat since January 2017. The capacity reached is about 13MW. This exceeds the targeted 10MW thermal capacity. 
  • Acquisition of objects to connect to district heating; 
  • The installation of innovative heat-substations in the project area to ensure low-return temperatures continues for new buildings (7 objects, 2.200kW)
Complete 70%

Risk and challenges

Which previously identified risks and challenges have you managed successfully and how

We have focused on new buildings in the project and the urban development area Freiham which rather get connected to the district heating because of its high energy efficiency and renewable aspects. Due to the primary energy savings the connected buildings achieve higher standards and therefor higher funding
 

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Which lessons learned can be derived up to this point from the implementation process?
  • Ongoing refurbishments still have to be calculated individually. In some case their  economic and technical suitability due to district heating is given     
     
Next steps & To Do ́s

Please shortly outline the next steps planned for the implementation of the project.    

  • Further search for suitable objects to connect to district heating grid and to install innovative heat substation.
  • Decision support for customers/object owners. 
  • Preparing the monitoring/data transfer to the data platform. 
  • Leading the discussion on data privacy with the system provider and the building owners.