Lunch Lecture: Perspectives on implementing district heating in the built environment

In this lecture, Miika Rämä of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland will discuss his experience researching the implementation if district heating networks. He will cover 1) the integration of renewables & excess heat, 2) the interaction with the surrounding energy system (i.e. sector-coupling) and 3) low-temperature distribution. The talk will explore the role and implementation challenges of various stakeholders along the value chain. Miika will cover examples such as the results of the IEA DHC Annex programme, an EU project called INTERSTORES which involves a Finnish DH company that aims to build the world’s largest thermal storage (90 GWh), and finally a project on modelling the transition from energy (DH) system and company-level economics perspectives.

Speaker Bio

Miika Rämä has roughly 20 years of experience in energy research in various positions and currently works as a research team leader at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Rämä has specific expertise in modelling and analysis of heating and cooling technologies, especially in district heating and cooling and its role in an overall energy system. He has coordinated many international and national projects from installation specific feasibility studies to national energy policy reviews and background studies, and e.g. had the lead responsibility in past three IEA DHC Annex programme projects. Rämä finalized his PhD titled “District heating with low-carbon heat sources and low distribution temperatures” in 2020. 

Research profile: https://cris.vtt.fi/en/persons/miika-rämä