Alternatives for natural‐gas‐based heating systems: A quantitative GIS‐based analysis of climate impacts and financial feasibility

Teun Johannes Verhagen, Ester van der Voet and Benjamin Sprecher

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2021, vol. 25, issue 1, 219-232

Abstract: The heating of buildings currently produces 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable heating technologies can reduce heating‐related CO2 emissions by up to 90%. We present a Python‐based GIS model to analyze the environmental and financial impact of strategies to reduce heating‐related CO2 emissions of residential buildings. The city‐wide implementation of three alternatives to natural gas are evaluated: high‐temperature heating networks, low‐temperature heating networks, and heat pumps. We find that both lowering the demand for heat and providing more sustainable sources of heat will be necessary to achieve significant CO2‐emission reductions. Of the studied alternatives, only low‐temperature heating networks and heat pumps have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 90%. A CO2 tax and an increase in tax on the use of natural gas are potent policy tools to accelerate the adoption of low‐carbon heating technologies.

Date: 2021
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