The Mine Water Project in Heerlen the Netherlands: development of a geothermal mine water pilot towards a full

scale hybrid low exergy infrastructure

Peter Op ‘t Veld, Bert GilissenHuygen Engineers & Consultants

Maastricht, the Netherlands

Content

• Mine Water Project as a pilot (1.0)• Boundary conditions buildings• Transitition to a versatile exergy based energy

infrastructure (2.0)• Further developments and research• Conclusions

Distribution:Low temperature (‘lowex’) H&C

distribution systemthe primary grid

mine water 1.0 – started as a pilot in 2005

2 Warm Wells

2 Cold Wells

H C R

Buildings Heerlerheide Centre

HP HP

280C

35…400C 170C 20…240C

Intermediate Well

Energy station Heerlerheide Centre

16…180C

Heerlerheide

Heerlen CBS - APG - ARCUS

Option: Regeneration of wells(by HP’s in buildings)

Energy stations buildings

Energy stations buildingsEnergy

stations buildings

From a schematic approach to a LT H&C grid in practiceLength 7 km

Some decision parameters:

• Length op the grid• (Type of) paving• Drillings (road crossings)• Existing infrastructures• Impact on wells• Flow directions• Ecology• Archaeology• Soil (pollution)• Permits• Costs

Demand side: the buildings

current connections to the grid

Heerlen location – Heerlerheide Centre(2005 – 2012)

Location Heerlerheide Centre• 312 apartments• 3800 m2 commercial buildings• 2500 m2 public and cultural

buildings• 11500 m2 health care buildings• 2200 m2 educational buildings• Energy station

CBS building: new office, 21.000m2Completed and connected 2009

ABP building: retrofitting, office 40.000m2Retrofitting completed, connected 2013

Arcus College: new school, 25.000m2Completed and connected 2014

Heerlen Centre

Boundary conditions: What is “extra” needed to make a building minewater proof/lowex (NL)?

See also IEA EBC Annex 49: www.annex49.info

Building Reg’s NL

Thermal insulation Envelope U = 0.37Glazing U = 3.0VentilationNo system requirementsAir tightnessn50 = 3Emission systemNo requirementsHVAC system/efficiencyNo requirements (but in EPR)

Energy Performance (EPC) dwellings0.6

Practice 2014 NL

Thermal insulation Envelope U = 0.26Glazing U = 1,2 – 1,5Ventilation50% ME/50% MVHRAir tightnessn50 < 2 Emission systemRadiatorsHVAC system/efficiencyCondensing boilersη = 95%No coolingEPC dwellings0.6

Mine water Lowex

Thermal insulation Envelope U < 0.25Glazing U < 1.2VentilationMVHR η = 95%Air tightnessn50 <1Emission systemFloor heating and coolingHVAC system/efficiencyMine water with heat pumps (boiler back up)Sustainable coolingEPC dwellings< 0.5

Building services:

Temperature minewater:

10°C

water from shallow layershigh-temperature cooling by thermally activated building parts

20°C Indoor air temperature (exergy zero-level)

30°Cwater from deeper layers

40°Clow-temperature heating by thermally activated building parts

50°C

LowEx direct heating and cooling

Indirect heating and coolingBuilding services:

Temperature minewater:

10°Clow-temperature cooling by air-conditiong

water from shallow layers

20°C Indoor air temperature (exergy zero-level)

30°Cwater from deeper layers

40°C

medium-temperature heating by heated air

50°C

Additional heating energy (heat pumps etc.)

Additional cooling energy (heat pumps etc.)

Optimization by using Load Duration Curves

• Dynamical buildings simulations (by TRNSYS)• Temperature levels for heating, cooling and DHW• Ratio RES (and HP) and conventional• Balancing H and C storage• Optimization transmission and ventilation losses and

seasonal operation• Enlarging the ‘dead-zone’ = period without H or C demand

> conflict with energy exploitation and economical feasibility! (decrease of energy demand = decrease of profits)

Optimizing ratio RES/conventional by using a LD curve (location Heerlerheide)

Load Duration Curve Heerlerheide Centre (buildings)

-1000

-500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000

Jaar [uren]

Ve

rmo

ge

n e

ne

rgie

ce

ntr

ale

[k

W]

optelling vermogens ruimteverwarming [watt]

Vermogens WP's

verwarmen

koelen

heat supply in peaks by boilers

heat supply by minewater i.c.w. heat pumps

cold supply by minwwater i.c..w. heat pumps

8760

dead band

Towards Mine Water 2.0: Long term maximum use of geothermal underground

for sustainable heating and cooling of buildings• Energy exchange instead of energy supply:

Between buildings by cluster grids Between clusters by the mine water grid Using Exergy Principles

• Energy storage and regeneration of mine water reservoirs instead of depletion

• Enlargement hydraulic and thermal capacity mine water system

• Fully automatic control and demand driven: heat and cold supply at any time

• Addition of poly generation like Bio CHP, reuse of waste heat (data center; industry), closed greenhouse, cooling towers etc.

• > The mine water energy supply is the backbone for this

HLN2

HLN1HLN3

HH1

HH2

Towards Mine Water 2.0

June 2013

CLUSTER BCBS-Maankwartier

CLUSTER DComponenta-Otterveurdt

CLUSTER AArcus-APG

CLUSTER CWeller HHC

Return well HLN3 out of orderHot to Hot (HH2)Cold to Cold (HLN2)Thot supply 28˚CTcold supply 16˚CThot return 28˚CTcold return 16˚C

Injection wells HH2 and HLN2 bidirectional

Cluster grids

Example ‘Cluster D’CLUSTER DComponenta-Otterveurdt

Cluster D (north west Heerlen)• Connections:

– Iron foundry (industrial waste heat supply)– Swimming pool– Retail store– Community building/school

• ‘Hoovering grid’: grid with flexible temperatures– Heat: 29 – 500C– Cold: 15 – 200C

• Local storage at user level– Reduction capacity heat pumps in buildings– Reducing connected power, allowing more customers on the

grid– Dealing with daily fluctations H&C demand (day T amplitude)

Scheme for standardized solution in cluster grids

Mine water energy station Building energy station End user

Storage for day amplitudeDHW

Clustergrid

Heat pump(s)Heat exchangers

Further R&D towards general application in lowex infrastructures (TKI LowEx OLEC and IEA Annex 64)

Theme State of Art S&T Deadlocks Innopvations to make in LowEx OLEC

1. Utilization of low exergy heat and cold at district level

Only sub-optimal utilization at building level, occasionally at project level, not at district level Storage only in Heat/Cold storage (aquifers) at one temperature level with simple grids

Development of technologies tailor-made per project with only one specific energy source. System selection is considered per project as complex tailor-fit engineering. Limited or no application of underground storage at different or higher temperatures. No view at combination with other low exergy flows by combination with energy flows from (other) buildings en building functions or environmental functions like ground, ground water

1.a Tool for planning and scenario analyses for energy infrastructure for lowex DH&C 1.b Elaboration of a number of configurations at technical and economic level for different sources, storage possibilities and temperature levels 1.c Development of underground storage at differentiated and/or higher temperatures. 1.d Possibilities for dynamical extension of hydraulic and thermal capacity of distribution grid 1.e combination with soil decontamination

2. Flexibility and up-scaling

Projects with local storage and distribution are normally designed once as a fixed configuration

Modifications, extensions, change of sources, customers and storage and up-scaling often not possible

2.a By standardization of configurations repetition potential is possible 2.b Modular solutions and configurations to scale size and type of buildings and lowex sources

3. System controls

Current DH&C grids are simple and don’t have advanced control systems, aimed for energy efficiency and sustainability

No advanced control systems available at district level. Inertia of infrastructure, sources and storage systems is an unknown factor.

Design of a Central Management System (CMS) to link buildings, sources and storage to a ‘virtual’ energy station

Further R&D towards general application in lowex infrastructures

Theme State of Art S&T Deadlocks Innopvations to make in LowEx OLEC 4. Planning of total system (source, storage, distribution, user)

No consideration of energy infrastructure as a Total system for energy 0 community planning Technologies and components are being designed and dimensioned and assessed separately and fragmented

No vision in potential and costs modification of energy infrastructures Dynamic thermal tool and dynamic hydraulic model available but not linked yet and not user friendly And applicable for planning, not user friendly yet

Linking thermal and hydraulic model and making it user friendly as tool for energy planning and scenario analyses, including cost review for financial exploitation.

5. Performance and performance guarantees

Performances are guarded only on component and building level (if commissioning takes place) Professionals (at all levels, blue and white collar) have only limited skills and knowledge

No clear vision of performance guarantees at system level Knowledge supply is present (Annex 49, REMINING-lowex en IDES-EDU ) but not matched with current skill gaps

5.a Combination of comprehensive favourable technical configurations, design tool and a CMS will lead to better control of performances of the total system. 5.b Framework for system of integral performance guarantees 5.c Framework for training and CPD and end-terms for required skills

6. Financing and exploitation

Financial assessments and considerations are being made on project level; supply driven market with monopoly position of suppliers (utilities). Not clear who is the ‘owner’ of a storage system

No ‘owners’ for exploitation of storage and energy supply, no view on economic opportunities and challenges of local exploitation of local energy and storage infrastructures

6.a Financial exploitation model addressing the financial value of storage in combination with renewable and low-valued energy sources. Model should clearly underpin the value for exploitation 6.b Involvement of innovative ESCO’s for offering total financing and exploitation models

Conclusions The Mine Water project in Heerlen upgraded from a pilot system to

a smart grid in heating and cooling with full scale hybrid sustainable energy structure (Mine Water 2.0)

Cluster grids are a profound exergy based solution to provide energy exchange between buildings and use of waste heat

By poly generation and the application of cluster grids the capacity of the mine water grid can be strongly increased

Cluster grid applications are used in combination with low temperature geothermal sources (mine water) and can be applied in general with other sustainable heat and cold energy sources (e.g. waste heat from data centres and closed greenhouses)

Mine Water 2.0 proves that heat pump operation with low-ex heat sources can be commercial feasible

The technologies are general applicable for all types of exergy based energy infrastructure systems

It is the Quality of Energy and its Management that counts!