Modeling and Performance Evaluation of a District Heating Network with Integration of a Thermal Prosumer: A Case Study in Italy

Giulia Bonelli, Martina Capone (), Vittorio Verda and Elisa Guelpa
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Giulia Bonelli: Energy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
Martina Capone: Energy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
Vittorio Verda: Energy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
Elisa Guelpa: Energy Department, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-24

Abstract: The decarbonization of the heating sector requires the progressive transformation of district heating systems toward low-temperature and renewable-based configurations. In this context, the integration of thermal prosumers, capable of both consuming and producing heat, represents a promising solution to increase network flexibility and support sector coupling through technologies such as heat pumps. This work presents a thermo-fluid dynamic modeling framework developed to analyze the integration of a heat pump-based prosumer into an existing large-scale district heating network in Italy. The model adopts a graph-based, thermo-fluid dynamic model, combining a steady-state hydraulic formulation with a transient thermal analysis, and is complemented by a set of Key Performance Indicators for the evaluation of energy exchanges and self-sufficiency at user and network levels. Different operational configurations are analyzed, including local sharing within the distribution network and heat export to the main transport network, with and without local thermal storage. The study focuses on summer operation, when the network supplies only domestic hot water, a condition in which distributed renewable generation can play a major role in reducing central plant operation. The results highlight the potential of thermal prosumers to enhance energy autonomy and flexibility in existing district heating networks, paving the way for their evolution toward fully renewable and bidirectional systems.

Keywords: district heating; thermal prosumer; heat pump; thermo-fluid dynamic modeling; low-temperature networks; sector coupling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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