High-speed, future-proof district heating Hengelo

The city of Hengelo is investing firmly in smart and sustainable city solutions with several projects under way to achieve their 50% reduction target in CO2 emissions by 2020. Since 2010, Thermaflex works closely with district heating engineers from Warmtenet Hengelo (Heating network Hengelo) to formulate solutions that ensure rapid installation of networks that minimize installation costs, and disturbance to the existing environment and its residents.

The aim of this particular project was to advance the speed of the housing connections, often the most tricky and time-consuming part of the installation of district heating networks. This meant opening an entire street, trenching, laying and making the house connections to the network before closing the street in the shortest time possible.

Warmtenet Hengelo (district heating company)
SOP (installer)
Thermaflex (supplier)

The project was officially realized in full in June 2016. The next steps regarding performance evaluation and monitoring are already in place, for which Thermaflex continues its close cooperation with Warmtenet Hengelo to ensure network efficiency, as well as supporting potential expansion in the future.

Keen to take up that challenge, Thermaflex set a new world record with the connection of an entire street in just a single day! This was achieved through the development of the revolutionary FlexaNet concept: a completely pre-fabricated network section with the house connections readily attached to the main line, 100% secure and factory-tested. Up until today, not a single maintenance issue has occurred in the network.

Excellent network engineering and tailor-made preparation and testing of FlexaNet in the Thermaflex factory in Waalwijk rooted this success. The specially trained and certified system partners of SOP proved the possibility to meet the target with the necessary site preparations. This way, installation time could be cut by 80%, while limiting disturbance for the neighborhood to a bare minimum, securing access for residents again by night.

Stats:
• 80% reduction of total planned installation time
• 1 day to connect 10 house hold to the grid
• 50% CO2 reeducation targeted by 2020
• 4400 households enjoy future-proof, sustainable heating
• 9,500 tons of C02 saved per year (which is the equivalent absorbed by 475,000 trees)

On one hand, through adopting high-speed, pre-fabricated, and therefore controlled district network solutions like FlexaNet in high-density living spaces, communities can enjoy future-proof comfort at minimal cost when it comes to daily life and/or trading. On the other hand, by minimizing the need for on-site connections, labor, time and overhead costs can be drastically cut, ensuring optimal control over planning and construction schedules. With a holistic approach, respecting the needs and wishes of all stakeholders involved, cities can secure resilient communities with a smart and sustainable energy supply.