What does an aquathermal system cost?
Policy-makers, heating companies and organisations behind initiatives who want to implement aquathermal energy can now make a realistic estimate of the costs per GJ of heat supplied and carbon emissions for their aquathermal systems. Researchers in the WarmingUP heating collective have drawn up detailed cost calculations for seven realistic aquathermal systems. These cost calculations can be used as a yardstick for the construction of new aquathermal systems.
“Costs are important when it comes to the further acceleration and scaling up of aquathermal systems,” says Anton de Fockert of Deltares. “As a specialist, you can use this report and the spreadsheet to calculate the costs for your own aquathermal system in order to establish a detailed picture of the costs. In this way, energy directors, policy-makers and organisations behind initiatives can include this sustainable source effectively in their energy strategy and assess its financial feasibility.”
The report describes the boundary conditions, guiding principles and results. The accompanying spreadsheet provides more details about how the cost price is determined. In this report, a cost price has been determined for an aquathermal concept, in other words an aquathermal system, an aquifer thermal energy system (ATES) and an upgrade system (heat pump). This cost did not include heat networks.
Combining different areas of expertise from the heating chain and objectives
The combination of different areas of expertise from the heating chain and objectives serves as the basis for these cost calculations. The calculations and underlying key figures were drawn up by the consultancy firms IF Technology and Techniplan in collaboration with a supervisory committee, with the latter consisting of Deltares, HVC, Vattenfall, Eteck, RVO, PBL, TNO, Ennatural and the municipality of Nijmegen.
During the development of these cost calculations, there were regular consultations with the supervisory committee in order to include the most representative knowledge and experiences in the calculations.
Do you want to make a cost estimate for your own aquathermal system? Download the report and spreadsheet (in Dutch).
Download the report Detailed cost calculation for aquathermal systems (in Dutch)
Download the spreadsheet Cost calculation variants and scenarios (in Dutch)
WarmingUP
On the basis of the development of knowledge in WarmingUP, we are pooling forces to ensure that aquathermal energy will become a genuine alternative for the collective heating and cooling of buildings.
WarmingUP is a collaborative venture involving more than forty parties from the entire heating sector who are working together to develop practical knowledge so that collective heating systems will be reliable, sustainable and affordable for the purposes of the heating transition.
