Verification of energy efficiency of district heating and cooling system by simulation considering design and operation parameters

This paper aims to verify the advantages of district heating and cooling (DHC) systems in terms of energy efficiency. From the measurement data, the parameters that characterize the energy efficiency of a heating/cooling plant are identified for DHC and an individual building. A simulation model that considers the difference in these parameters is developed. This model examines both the advantages and disadvantages of DHC systems and the effect of each parameter. The results show that the energy efficiency for cooling in DHC systems is superior to that in the case of individual cooling systems because of the concentration effect and grade of operation. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.