Speaker
Description
This study assesses heating system decarbonization options for a residential neighborhood in Ghent, offering relevant insights for Belgian and European climate targets. The area comprises over seventy historically valuable housings from the 19th to 21st centuries -e.g., terraced houses from the 1850s, 1950s semi-detached homes, and 2021 apartment blocks- making it a representative case for urban retrofitting. Through scenario-based modeling of 76 combinations of heating technologies, building retrofits, and renewable integration, it identifies cost-effective strategies that balance comfort, carbon reduction, energy efficiency, and long-term investment. These scenarios include combinations of technologies such as condensing gas boilers, air-source and ground-source heat pumps, dry coolers, booster heat pumps, heat interface units, variations in system characteristics like supply temperatures (10–60°C), thermal emission systems (radiators or underfloor heating), and building envelope retrofits. Key performance indicators - including energy use, carbon emissions, comfort, and costs- are used to benchmark each configuration. A modified Environmental Levelized Cost of Heat (eLCOH) is proposed, expanding the traditional economic metrics with ecological data. The study finds that ground-source heat pumps in refurbished homes, combined with low-temperature heating supply and the integration of geothermal storage regeneration further enhances system performance and cost-efficiency. The methodology provides a replicable method and underlines the value of simulation and scenario analysis in achieving climate-neutral urban development. Hence, the findings serves as practical guidance for municipalities and urban planners by highlighting the trade-offs between comfort, investment, efficiency, and sustainability. It supports strategic decisions for local energy transitions, prioritizing low-carbon solutions in complex urban situations.
| If your abstract is not accepted for an oral presentation, would you be interested in presenting it as a poster instead? | Yes |
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| If accepted by the Scientific Board, I agree to have my presentation/poster and abstract published on the Belgian Climate Centre websites and social media. | Yes |
