Increasing the share of RES in Polish district heating systems using power-to-heat technology

Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warszawa, Poland

^* Corresponding author: maciej.chaczykowski@pw.edu.pl

Abstract

The power systems in European Union operate under energy policies where the greenhouse gases reduction, the increase of the share of renewable energy sources (RES) and the improvements in energy efficiency are the main objectives. Polish energy sector is currently based on inefficient usage of coal and must be transformed according to the requirements of EU energy and climate policy. A policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030 established the target of 27% of share of RES in energy consumption. With the continuing increase in the use of RES, it is likely that more and more generation will have to be curtailed to maintain the stability of the power system which was not originally designed to integrate renewable generation. In this context, the conversion of renewable electricity to heat in connection with its storage in district heating systems, known as Power-to-Heat (PtH) can be considered as a viable option in increasing the share of RES and facilitating the stability of the power system. In this paper an attempt is made to estimate the potential of PtH technology for Poland up to 2030, including the high RES share scenario for the energy mix development.