print mail RSS

Heat demand & production

Demand for heat is a major factor in the Dutch energy supply, with 40% of national energy output used for heating: over 1,200 PJ per year. Dutch government policy on renewable energy is still focused mainly on electricity, though, with little attention given to heat. This is a shame, because clean generation of heat provides the Dutch government with enormous potential for securing European and national targets on renewable energy, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. Dutch industry also stands to gain from this potential and make it a commercial success.

Demand for heat and cold

In the Netherlands demand for heat today accounts for around 40% of primary energy consumption. A major fraction of this demand - over half - is for low-calorific heat (<100°C), used for space heating in private homes and other buildings, on farms, and in greenhouse horticulture and industry. The rest of the demand, around 45%, is for high-calorific process heat used in industry.

Cooling
Compared with heat, there is far less demand for cold in the Netherlands. Where it exists, the main uses are for air conditioning in office buildings, hospitals and shops. In industry, the bulk of demand for cold is from food processors.

What support can CE Delft provide?

For thirty years now, issues relating to heat (and cold) have been a significant part of CE Delft’s work. Over this period CE Delft has played a key role in elaborating broad perspectives, initial policy estimation, identification of strategic choices and the detailing of specific policies. It has done so for the Dutch government, for trade associations and for individual companies. As a result, CE Delft now disposes over a wealth of knowledge on heat issues and has developed a clear vision of the role of heat in the Netherlands’ energy supply. This expertise has been put to use in numerous projects relating to:

• Policy aspects of heat (legislation, conservation targets, sustainability)
• Strategic consultancy (planning for the built environment)
• Modelling (heat application, technical solutions)

In terms of scope and focus group, these projects can be characterised as follows:

• Government, industry, interest groups and public advocacy groups
• International, national, regional and local
• Built environment, industry, agriculture/horticulture

In recent years CE Delft has carried out studies and projects on the Dutch Heat Act, urban heat policy, regional scenarios, conservation potential for industry, matching of heat supply and demand, and conceptual elaboration of new heat systems.