In recent years, the city of Zurich has taken several measures to accelerate the development of thermal grids. These measures include new infrastructure developments, but also regulatory instruments or business model adaptations. Such measures are thoroughly discussed in politics, closely followed by the media and studied by practitioners.
As a result, the development of thermal grids in the city is extremely well documented. These abundant quantitative and qualitative data are a valuable resource to understand the dynamics of the heating and cooling transition.
In DeCarbCH, we compile and synthesize these diverse datasets to understand the challenges and success factors of accelerating decarbonization and thermal grid development.
A forthcoming report will provide an overall view of thermal grids in Zurich:
- Which technological options have been implemented, and which changes are foreseen?
- Which type of public value is this infrastructure expected to provide, and how is this supported by adequate regulatory instruments and organizational structures?
- Which are the main challenges for the further development of thermal grids?
The aim of this report is threefold:
- It should support research in DeCarbCH and beyond by laying out the main challenges and opportunities for the further development of thermal grids.
- It should help other cities learn from Zurich’s experience, both from the past and from ongoing research in DeCarbCH.
- It will also act as an information hub, referencing the various data sources and making it easy to find additional information.
Link:
- Forthcoming report on the framework conditions of thermal grid development in Zurich
