Real operation data analysis on district heating load patterns

This paper provides an analysis of a DH system operation over ten heating seasons, with the aim of highlighting the main characteristics of the heat load variations and finding the fundamental drivers for heat load prediction. Although the system has seen a significant development throughout the years, the specific energy consumption has been found to be comparable on the whole duration of the analysis. Two main patterns are highlighted, based on the different operation settings along the hours of the day and the outdoor temperature as the main weather driver for building's heat demand.