New datasets for Heat Programs

More and more useful datasets are becoming available to create good heating programs for neighborhoods in the Netherlands! This information makes it possible to make realistic, substantiated choices for the step towards natural gas-free solutions.

The good news
A major recent addition is the updated dataset from the Start Analysis of the Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL). This dataset provides insight into possible heating strategies, available heat sources and the associated national costs per neighborhood.

By cleverly combining this data with information about the energy shell of buildings, you can quickly design and budget heat scenarios for every neighbourhood in the Netherlands.

From insight to approach: three building blocks for a heat program
A good heat program starts with combining different data sources into a coherent whole. The following three steps together form a practical approach to arrive at substantiated heat scenarios per neighborhood:

Step 1: Insight into heat demand and individual costs
A good heat programme starts with an accurate inventory of the heat demand. The insulation status of buildings and the type of heating system are crucial here.

Based on this information, you can estimate:

• How much heat each building needs after insulation.
• Which measures are needed to achieve this.
• What the costs are per building.

This forms the basis for realistic heat scenarios and a fair cost distribution.

Step 2: Identification of heat sources and national costs
The start analysis shows which sustainable heat sources are available per neighbourhood: think of geothermal energy, aquathermy or residual heat from industry. The national costs are also made clear - these are the social costs and benefits of the various heat strategies, including investments and operational costs. This helps in making choices that are not only locally feasible, but also nationally efficient.

Step 3: Attention to grid congestion
Grid congestion plays an important role in designing and budgeting heat programs. A lot of extra electricity is needed to make heat sources suitable for heating buildings. Using the dataset from the initial analysis, you can design and budget scenarios that deal with this intelligently, for example through hybrid solutions or phasing in the implementation.

Would you like to know more about the use of data when drawing up heat programs?

Please contact Aart van der Vlist, aart@sblc.nl