User Tools

Site Tools


  • Deutsch (German)
  • English
  • Français (French)
  • Italiano
d_boiler_more

What can I choose in the calculator?

The calculator lets you choose the share of total decentralised heat demand covered by Decentralised Boilers in Switzerland in the selected year (2035 or 2050).

Decentralised Boilers

image

Contents

  • Impact
  • Global markets
  • Definition
  • Constraints
  • Assumptions
  • References

IMPACT – What are the impacts of Decentralised Boilers?

In Switzerland, increasing the share of Decentralised Boilers will have the following impacts:

Energy system

image Will not impact final energy demand.

image Decrease total electricity consumption.

image Likely to increase total natural gas and heating oil consumption.

image May decrease the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix unless wood boilers are the primary choice.

image Likely to decrease energy independence and energy security by requiring more fossil imports.

Environment & Climate

image Likely to increase CO2 emissions if natural gas or heating oil boilers are the primary choice.

image Could decrease CO2 emissions if wood boilers are the primary choice.

image May increase deposited waste if heating oil systems are replaced by natural gas or wood boilers leading to oil storage tanks being removed.

Society & Economy

image May decrease the cost of the energy transition if natural gas boilers are the primary choice.

image May increase the cost of the energy transition if heating oil or wood boilers are the primary choice.

image Could support the Swiss forestry sector and forest stewardship if wood boilers play a significant role.

image May increase Confederation income from the tax on mineral oil under the current taxation system.

GLOBAL MARKET – What is the global market for Decentralised Boilers?

The global market for heating, which includes both boilers for heating and for domestic hot water, was estimated to be worth about US$37 billion in 2012. About half of this, or US$19 billion, was in Europe.[1]

DEFINITION / CONSTRAINTS

DEFINITION - What are Decentralised Boilers?

Decentralised Boilers burn fuels such as natural gas, heating oil or wood and generate hot water. They can be used for domestic hot water and for space heating. Boilers can also be used to generate hot air for space heating but this technology is not very widespread in Switzerland.

Current condensing boilers operating on natural gas or heating oil typically capture about 90-95% of the energy content of the fuel. Both non-condensing and condensing wood-fired boilers are available with typical energy efficiencies in the range of 80-90% and 90-95% respectively.

CONSTRAINTS - What are the key barriers facing Decentralised Boilers deployment?

• Switch of energy source likely to require change in consumer habits and therefore outreach and education.

• Installation of wet heating system is disruptive to building fabric.

• Switch to wood boilers requires storage space for fuel and footprint of boiler slightly larger than the one of oil or ga boilerss.

• Switch to wood boilers may require elimination of existing heating oil storage tanks.

• Cheapest option (natural gas) does not bring significant environmental benefits.

ASSUMPTIONS – What are the assumptions considered in the calculator?

The model contain three types of centralized boilers: gas boiler, oil boiler and wood boiler.

Next tables contain the assumptions that have been introduced in the Decentralized boiler model of the calculator.

Efficiency [%]
2035 2050
Gas 102 105
Oil 100 102
Wood 85 90
Emissions
2011-2050
CO2-eq. emissions [kgCO2-eq./MJfuel] Gas0.0733
Oil0.0893
Wood0.00452
Deposited waste [UBP/MJfuel] Gas0.614
Oil1.41
Wood1.18
Cost
2011-2050
Specific investment [CHF2010/kWth] Gas178
Oil547
Wood933

REFERENCES

[1] BSRIA, Trends in world traditional and renewable heating markets, MC Expocomfort 2014

You could leave a comment if you were logged in.
d_boiler_more.txt · Last modified: 2023/11/16 15:21 by 127.0.0.1