Heating networks are an essential part of the energy transition and play an important role in achieving CO₂ reductions. After all, about half of Europe’s total energy consumption goes to heating applications and more than 10% of this total heat demand is provided by heating networks. Moreover, there are new opportunities to integrate digital processes and improve the efficiency, economy and environmental performance of heating networks by implementing a robust digital infrastructure.
For this transition, digital technologies are considered crucial to improve communication between different parts of the heat grid, secure heat supply in a more efficient way, optimise system operation and help integrate renewable energy sources.
In this Deep Dive session, we combine expert lectures around digital heating networks with demonstrations of AI-driven algorithms to make heating networks smarter. Are you interested in more details about digital heat networks? Or perhaps you are curious about the benefits and challenges these systems bring? If you want to find out more about the possibilities these tools can bring to your heating networks, don’t hesitate and register for this free workshop.
This event will take place partly in Dutch and partly in English.
Programme
10.00: Introduction to digital heating networks and the EDIH EBE project (Johan Desmedt, EnergyVille/VITO)
10:15: Digitisation of existing heating networks: what are the advantages? (Dirk Vanhoudt, EnergyVille/VITO)
In recent decades, digital tools have increasingly become part of our daily lives. In the energy sector, too, there is a growing trend towards more digital solutions. However, compared to our electricity grids, heating networks are still lagging behind. Nevertheless, digitalisation can add significant value for existing heat networks. This presentation will provide an overview of the state of the art of digitisation tools to upgrade existing heating networks. It will highlight the benefits and explain ongoing research initiatives in this area.
10:45: STORM District energy controller: unlocking energy flexibility in district heating networks (Somil Miglani, EnergyVille/VITO) – presentatie in English
STORM District Energy Controller activates energy flexibility in heating networks. It is a data-driven system that uses self-learning and self-adaptive algorithms to activate demand-side energy flexibility in heat networks. It optimises the real-time heat consumption of buildings based on their available flexibility to provide services such as peak shaving to heat network operators. This results in lower operational costs and opens up the possibility of adding additional customers to the heat network without significant investment. This presentation provides an introduction to the technology and use cases.
11:15: Pathopt: from map to specific heating network design, automatically and accurately (Robbe Salenbien, EnergyVille/VITO).
The design of modern heating networks, involving a diverse mix of technologies and temperatures, is becoming increasingly complex. Current design rules, e.g. based on heat zoning, are coming under pressure and increasingly the question arises how to design a project in concrete terms. In a capital-intensive industry, optimal design is of great importance and can only be realised through process automation. Within EnergyVille, Pathopt was developed for this purpose, a platform that seeks to challenge current design tools. Based on geographical data, the optimal topology of heating networks in a district or city can be determined quickly, accurately and on a large scale. This can take into account various sources, energy storage or time-dependent developments on the demand or supply side. This makes Pathopt of great value in translating the zoning story into a concrete design, and in many cases even capable of making the zoning exercise redundant.
11:45: Q & A
12:00: Networking & lunch
13:00: End
Practical details
This Deep Dive session takes place within the framework of the European EDIH-EBE project. EDIH-EBE offers SMEs and medium-sized companies access to expertise, data and test facilities around energy, digitalisation and built environment. In this session, we offer you a combination of an expert panel and a demonstration of the possible technologies to make heat grids smarter.
When: Tuesday 27 May 2025, 10.00 – 13.00h
Where: VITO Berchem, Roderveldlaan 5, Berchem
Price: Free
DMA: we ask SMEs and medium-sized companies to participate in a digital maturity test as required by the European Commission. Please complete this questionnaire before participating in the Deep Dive session. The questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete.
