Danish utility digitalises district heating

Intelligent meters, digitalisation, frequent data

The Danish utility Aalborg District Heating leads the way by investing in a large-scale and innovative district heating project with digitalisation and operations optimisation of the supply as the primary goals. The investment includes 38,000 intelligent heat meters and a fully automatic remote reading system from Kamstrup.

With the recently signed contract for one of Denmark’s largest district heating projects, Aalborg District Heating sets the pace in terms of digitalising and creating the energy efficient district heating system of the future. When the roll-out of this large project begins in March 2017, Kamstrup will deliver intelligent meters, a remote reading system, software and hosting of data. A total solution that provides Aalborg District Heating with a wide range of opportunities for operational efficiency and improved customer service.

Digitalisation is not a target that should stand on its own. We expect the investment to result in lower operating costs to a degree where the investment is actually still viable. That has been an equally important target for us. First of all, operation of the new wireless system will be cheaper, and secondly we expect to be able to provide faster customer service resulting in a more efficient distribution network.

The new technology will also be an important element in the future energy transition of the district heating system, where there will be a need for more knowledge on the customers’ consumption on one side and our production on the other”, says Jesper Høstgaard-Jensen, CEO at Aalborg Varme A/S.

With the chosen solution from Kamstrup, Aalborg District Heating gets, in addition to the meters, a digitalised and unique remote reading system that ensures transparency as well as simple and secure collection of data, which will create great and lasting value for both Aalborg District Heating and the consumers.

District heating has gained an important position internationally, and there is a growing political focus on utilising energy resources more efficiently. High energy efficiency requires for utilities as well as for the consumers, and, as a result, digitalisation will play a crucial role in the future.