Guidelines on community-led heating and cooling

Heating and cooling technologies

Aquathermal Energy

Aquathermal energy is a sustainable process of heating and cooling using water. It involves the extraction of heat and cold from surface water and can play a major role in the energy transition. Research in the Netherlands carried out by CE Delft and Deltares shows that aquathermal energy, such as aquathermal energy from surface water, can supply more than 40% of the heat demand of buildings in the Netherlands. This sustainable alternative heats and cools buildings and can contribute significantly to the gas-free objective of the Netherlands. In addition to surface water, heat recovery from wastewater and drinking water is also possible, which can further contribute to the diversification of energy sources.

Several citizen-led projects that use this technology are being developed. For more information, visit the AquaCOM project, where we focus on aquathermal energy from surface water.

Example: Thermal energy from surface water

With thermal energy from surface water you extract heat from surface water (e.g. lake, sea, canal, stream, river) with a heat exchanger. An electrically-driven heat pump ensures that the temperature is sufficiently raised to provide heating and domestic hot water in winter. In many cases, the temperature of the surface water also allows you to cool the buildings in summer.

In this photo, Barbara Boudewijnse, alderman for sustainability in the municipality of Gooise Meren (The Netherlands), is placing the first pipeline for a new community-led aquathermal energy project. This will be the first local communal project to replace fossil fuels for a sustainable energy source.

Thermal energy from water is a source of sustainable heating for homes. Aquathermal energy can thus accelerate the switch to natural-gas-free heating and contribute to the necessary energy transition. An important aspect of this project is that the initiative is driven by inhabitants, supported by the local energy cooperation Wattnu, and not by commercial players. Barbara strongly supports this project, being a great combination of community based initiative and the energy transition.

Does your energy community use aquathermal energy, and you would like to see it in these Digital Guidelines? Send an email to info@energycommunityplatform.eu.