National assessment of low temperature heat network opportunities​

Heat networks are a method of delivering heat to multiple properties via a fluid-filled pipe network from a single source of thermal energy. They are a key strategic technology for meeting Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets and consideration of the potential for heat networks in an area is a core requirement for local authorities’ Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies.

Low-temperature heat networks draw thermal energy directly from the ground, bodies of water or from waste heat generated by, for example, industrial activities. The temperature in the pipes is lower than in a traditional heat network and it is upgraded at each individual property served by the network via a heat pump so it can be used for heating and hot water. Traditional heat networks generate thermal energy at a central energy centre, for example through the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat from a gas-fired power station, and deliver it at a higher temperature to individual properties where the heat doesn’t need to be upgraded.

To date, most local and national energy planning in Scotland has focused on higher temperature heat networks. This research aims to support policies, strategies and delivery plans, locally and nationally, by showing where the opportunities low-temperature heat networks are likely to be strongest across Scotland.

Key findings

• There are low-temperature heat network opportunities in each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas.
• While opportunities are concentrated in more heavily populated regions, such as the Central Belt and urban areas around Aberdeen and Dundee, opportunities can be found in the majority of Scotland’s towns, as well as in rural and coastal villages.
• About a third of Scotland’s housing stock and a third of non-domestic properties – around 1 million properties – could be served by low-temperature heat networks.
• Opportunities are split by those that could serve multiple buildings (11,000 opportunities) and those that could serve single buildings containing multiple individual properties such as block of flats (17,000).
• The majority of opportunity groupings involve modest numbers of properties (up to 30) and total heat demand (up to 300 megawatt-hours per year). However, some groupings have much larger total heat demands, especially if they include anchor loads like hospitals and higher education buildings.
• The majority of opportunity groupings were matched with one or more nearby green spaces that could potentially host hidden heat-collecting boreholes. A smaller proportion was matched with nearby water bodies.

For further information, please read the report.

If you require the report in an alternative format, such as a Word document, please contact info@climatexchange.org.uk or 0131 651 4783.