Modeling and Simulation of a Heating Mini-Grid for a Block of Buildings

Termonet is a new concept based on the use of individually adjustable and collectively managed ground source heat pumps, connected to a thermal grid with noninsulated piping supplying heating/cooling demand of households located far from existing district heating grid (GeoDrilling, 2017; Pellegrini and Bianchini, 2018). Production and consumption profiles from Termonet dynamic simulations using an object-oriented modelling approach are compared to insulated ground source and district heating networks with extra-small consumer density encountered at test sites in Denmark. The hypothesis of the reduced production requirements in Termonet is tested and the identified pros and cons indicate the direction for small-scale thermal grid development with emphasis on efficiency and control.