District Urban Network, a historic solution for the future of the urban energy transition
About this good practice
Hearing about District Heating Networks has become common and regularly new initiatives and projects start to go beyond the POC level. Yet, the City of Paris is confronted with an entirely different situation: a heating network, which has existed for nearly 100 years, whose objective is to bring this resource to more city dwellers thanks to the extension of its infrastructure.
With more than 500 km of pipeline under the streets of Paris and 20% of the heat delivered, the District Urban Network is a fierce asset for the city. The heat is generated through multiple ways: burning biomass (wood, household waste), deep geothermal energy, gas and coal. The multiplicity of options for heat generation is an essential component for the financial stability of the system.
upon solid ground.
Paris Climate Agency, which has both the required data for this extension exercise and a network of both political and public players, has therefore proved to be an ideal intermediary. To extend the network, the links that Paris Climate Agency have with co-owners are solid assets to base future discussions on. Moreover, the role of one-way platform grants a legitimacy and accesses to crucial information to start the project
Resources needed
Paris Climate Agency (APC) works to identify the network's potential for extension and to mobilise the public concerned. It requires a constant monitoring, not a full-time staff member.
Regular meetings between the network operator and APC are conducted to exchange information about new prospects.
Evidence of success
The Paris Climate Air Energy Plan identified this network as one of the main tools for reducing GHG emissions on its territory: from 52,7 % of renewable energy (in 2024) to 75% in 2030 and 100% in 2050, a clear path has been defined to attain the City’s environmental objectives in the City Climate Plan.
The support provided by the Paris Climate Agency has proved successful, as we have gone from a dozen annual connections to over a hundred.
Potential for learning or transfer
The heating district network of the City Paris has existed for 97 years. From only 1km long to more than 500km today, this network has become one of the main sources of heat for Parisians. The City of Paris supports and advocates for its never-ending expansion. The main goal is to allow each condominium who has the will and technical specificities to be connected to the heating network.
The heating district network of the City of Paris is one of a kind. Its longevity and ever-adapting capacity are the warrantors of its pertinence for a metropolitan area. From enlarging the system to adding new sources of energy, the Paris District Urban Network is a source of good practices and experiences for new projects and to old infrastructures.
Being able to monitor the energy consumption of large cities is crucial to accompany energy transition. A heating district network allows for precise readings so that transition plans can draw on reliable figures.