Overview: The region of Weiz-Gleisdorf includes 5 different towns – Weiz, St. Ruprecht an der Raab, Wollsdorf, Unterfladnitz, and Gleisdorf – nestled between hills in the southern part of Austria the area is a prominent producer of wine and orchids.

Current DH system:  The 5 towns share a district heating system of approximately 72km, supplying 117.9 GWh/year. Currently, the grid relies mostly on biomass for its heat generation and fossil-based peak load boilers.

What work will ENABLE DHC do: ENABLE DHC will use GIS-based planning and thermohydraulic simulations to evaluate available sources of renewable heat such as waste heat, geothermal, and the integration of future plants based on large-scale heat pumps and solar thermal energy coupled with heat storage options. This investigation will allow the grid to be considered efficient under the Energy Efficiency Directive of the European Union and allow the system to expand. The operator foresees an expansion of the grid to more than 70% of its current size.

Partners involved: AEE Intec