COST-OPTIMISATION MODELLING OF LOCAL LEVEL CROSS-VECTOR FLEXIBILITY IN COUPLED DISTRICT HEATING AND ELECTRICITY NETWORKS: A CASE STUDY OF KUNGSBACKA, SWEDEN

• Datum: 2025
• Hauptverfasser: Lysenko, O., Mata , É., Sobha , P.
• Format: Artikel
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlicht: Institute of Renewable Energy National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2025
• Schlagworte: Cross-vector flexibility; district heating; power-to-heat; TIMES model; energy system optimization; renewable integration; local energy systems; decarbonization.
• Online Zugang: https://ve.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/571
• Назва журналу: Vidnovluvana energetika

This study presents a local-level cost-optimization analysis of cross-vector flexibility between district heating (DH) and electricity systems in the municipality of Kungsbacka, Sweden. Using a TIMES model, we assess the techno-economic performance of integrated flexibility solutions, including electric boilers, heat pumps, rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels, storage in electric battery and thermal storage, solar thermal collectors, and smart appliances, under varying electricity and biomass price scenarios. Results show that while the base and implemented configurations remain dominated by biomass-fired generation, the inclusion of electricity-based heating technologies, particularly the electric boiler, enables cost-efficient and low-emission operation during periods of high biomass prices. The analysis also reveals notable differences in system running costs across scenarios, with substantial long-term cost reductions observed only when investment flexibility allows broader adoption of power-to-heat options. The scenarios reveal a long-term transition toward electrified DH, where heat pumps and thermal storage become central to system optimization. Thermal energy storage contributes significantly to peak shaving and load shifting, enabling the system to respond to hourly electricity price variations. Consumer-side resources, including rooftop PV, batteries, and dual-input smart appliances, further enhance local flexibility by increasing self-consumption and shifting energy carriers between electricity and DH. The findings confirm that combining multiple cross-vector flexibility measures can reduce operating costs, enhance renewable integration, and strengthen local energy resilience, supporting a transition toward climate-neutral district energy systems. These results underscore the importance of price-responsive operation and coordinated deployment of flexibility technologies in local-scale decarbonisation pathways.