Demand response and other demand side management techniques for district heating: A review

If demand side management in electricity grid is a well known concept, the application to district heating systems (i.e. modifying the thermal demand in order to make it more compliant with the heat production) is significantly less widespread. Various attempts can be found in the literature concerning thermal demand modification in district heating, despite often researchers working on this topic are not fully aware of the other research activities also because various names are used to identify similar techniques. This paper represents the first survey on the use demand side application in district heating networks. The review clarifies the terminology and the stages for implementing demand side management to district heating network. Simulations and real applications are both considered in the review, including direct and indirect demand side management (demand response). Demand side management is found to be a great technique for district heating management. Various works show that the following benefits can be achieved: peak shaving up to 30%, doubled load factor, reduction of primary energy needs up to 5%, emission and cost reduction up to 10%. This clearly leads to significant cost and emission reduction, contributing to the decarbonization of urban areas. •The first review on demand side management (DMS) in thermal networks.•Terminology is the first obstacle for knowledge diffusion in this field.•Advantages, steps for implementations and available analyses are discussed.•Various experimental tests and simulations have been performed up to now.•Benefits achievable by DSM are up to: 30% peaks, −10% costs, −5% emissions.