TY - GEN A1 - Billerbeck, Anna A1 - Breitschopf, Barbara A1 - Preuß, Sabine A1 - Winkler, Jenny A1 - Ragwitz, Mario A1 - Keles, Dogan T1 - Perception of district heating in Europe: A deep dive into influencing factors and the role of regulation T2 - Energy Policy N2 - To increase the deployment of district heating in line with European targets, there is a need to understand consumer perceptions and the role of regulations. Therefore, this paper focuses on consumer perceptions of district heating and analyses the influencing factors. The analysis uses data from an online survey with 4388 participants from nine European countries. In particular, the paper discusses the impact of socio-demographic factors, attitudes and regulations on the perception of district heating. Statistical analyses show that re-spondents from Denmark and Sweden have the most positive perception, while respondents from Lithuania and the Netherlands have a less positive perception of district heating. In addition, the results indicate that re-spondents from countries with no mandatory connection, liberalised price regulation and mainly public ownership seem to have a more positive perception of district heating, higher satisfaction when using district heating and a more positive rating of their heating price than those from countries with mandatory connection, regulated prices and a more mixed ownership structure. Overall, the paper provides a first overview of possible factors influencing the perception of district heating and indicates that the mix of appropriate regulations and, in particular, their combined impact, could play an important role in perception. KW - Consumer perception KW - District heating KW - Heating policy KW - Monopoly regulation KW - Social acceptance Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113860 SN - 0301-4215 VL - 184 SP - 1 EP - 17 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ragwitz, Mario A1 - Billerbeck, Anna A1 - Bernath, Christiane A1 - Manz, Pia A1 - Deac, Gerda A1 - Held, Anne A1 - Winkler, Jenny A1 - Kök, Ali T1 - Integrating district heating potentials into European energy system modelling : an assessment of cost advantages of renewable and excess heat T2 - Smart Energy N2 - This paper takes a novel modelling approach by considering high spatial resolution heat generation potentials for district heating and integrating them into a European energy system model. Subsequently, a modelling analysis of an integrated energy system including district heating, electricity and hydrogen supply for 25 EU Member States and the year 2050 is carried out. In contrast to existing approaches, the modelling approach captures the heterogeneous resource availability in district heating. The results show multivalent district heating networks based on a wide range of renewable and excess heat sources used directly or in combination with large-scale heat pumps. The high spatial resolution of the heat generation potentials allows a detailed cost comparison of different possible future technology mixes in district heating. The paper finds that the use of heat pumps, geothermal energy and industrial excess heat offer slight cost advantages for the energy system as a whole. Geothermal heat can also provide cost advantages for district heating generation. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.segy.2024.100150 VL - 15 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - GEN A1 - Billerbeck, Anna A1 - Kiefer, Christoph P. A1 - Winkler, Jenny A1 - Bernath, Christiane A1 - Sensfuß, Frank A1 - Kranzl, Lukas A1 - Müller, Andreas A1 - Ragwitz, Mario T1 - The race between hydrogen and heat pumps for space and water heating: A model-based scenario analysis T2 - Energy Conversion and Management N2 - This paper analyses different levels and means of the electrification of space and hot water heating using an explorative modelling approach. The analysis provides guidance to the ongoing discussion on favourable pathways for heating buildings and the role of secondary energy carriers such as hydrogen or synthetic fuels. In total, 12 different scenarios were modelled with decarbonisation pathways until 2050, which cover all 27 member states of the European Union. Two highly detailed optimisation models were combined to cover the building stock and the upstream energy supply sector. The analysis shows that decarbonisation pathways for space and water heating based on large shares of heat pumps have at least 11% lower system costs in 2050 than pathways with large shares of hydrogen or synthetic fuels. This translates into system cost savings of around €70 bn. Heat pumps are cost-efficient in decentralised systems and in centralised district heating systems. Hence, heat pumps should be the favoured option to achieve a cost-optimal solution for heating buildings. Accordingly, the paper makes a novel and significant contribution to understanding suitable and cost-efficient decarbonisation pathways for space and hot water heating via electrification. The results of the paper can provide robust guidance for policymakers. KW - Hydrogen KW - Energy systems modelling KW - Optimization KW - Sector coupling KW - Heat pump KW - District heating Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2023.117850 SN - 0196-8904 VL - 299 PB - Elsevier BV ER -