District heating and cooling networks: Overview
Hot water pipes that heat whole towns from a few plants
What this tile covers Insulated pipes carrying hot water, steam or chilled water across a town or industrial park. Share of use 2.9% share of world energy carried (2022)Share of world total energy supply (592 EJ in 2024, Energy Institute Statistical Review 2025, physical energy content) carried at least once by this mode; overlaps allowed, so shares do not add to 100 (calculated) About 17 EJ of district heat was produced worldwide in 2022 (IEA), against 592 EJ of total supply in 2024. Heat is made from fuels already counted elsewhere, so it overlaps with them. Source: District Heating, IEA.
Key facts
| Form | Heat |
Included from the reference tables
- District heating and cooling
- Industrial steam lines
Also in Heat, motion and embodied energy
HTF Heat-transfer fluids and heat pipesMPT Mechanical power transmissionEmE Embodied energy tradeExplore paths from here
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