5th Generation District Heating and Cooling with TESSA – pilot project in a UNESCO world heritage site

Abstract District heating systems, particularly fifth-generation district heating and cooling (5GDHC), are emerging as a key solution for decarbonizing space heating and domestic hot water using renewable energy and waste heat. 5GDHC operates on an “anergy network,” a low-temperature, uninsulated pipe system that delivers both heating and cooling energy to buildings via heat pumps. This system is especially beneficial for small villages with limited space for large heat production units. When combined with long-term thermal storage solutions like shallow geothermal boreholes, 5GDHC can meet the growing demand for space cooling. However, designing these systems is data-intensive and computationally expensive due to uncertainties in energy demand, renewable resource availability, and costs. The lack of adequate design and simulation tools is a major barrier to widespread adoption. Planeto’s software TESSA addresses this by providing design automation, engineering simulations, and integrated datasets for engineers. A pilot project in Grandvaux, Switzerland, assessed the feasibility of a 5GDHC system. The village has 67 buildings with a total heat demand of 2,300 MWh/year. The study evaluated the technical and economic feasibility of integrating decentralized energy production via heat pumps and geothermal boreholes. The 5GDHC system is suitable for villages with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and low energy density, where traditional systems are economically unattractive. With 1,191 such municipalities in Switzerland alone, this technology holds significant potential.