Overview: Tallaght, in the suburbs of Dublin, is home to an emerging district heating network using waste heat from a nearby data centre. It is Ireland’s first large-scale, low-carbon district heating system, designed to provide sustainable and cost-effective heating to local buildings and communities. Beyond efficiency and sustainability, the goal is also to serve as a model for other DHC networks in Ireland.

Current DH system: The district heating system of Tallaght is 1.9km long, serving around 1962 residential homes. The main energy source is the heat from the data centre, which is upgraded through heat pumps. In its first year of operation, the TDHS has already distributed 3,770 MWh of heat and saved 1,100 tonnes of CO2.

What work will ENABLE DHC do?: The project will work in measures that will enhance the system’s efficiency while it explores opportunities for the system’s expansion and maximisation of heat recovery potential. The installation of thermal storage infrastructure will also be investigated. 

Partners involved: OPTIT and IrDEA