Development of an Integrated Software Workflow for District Heating Network Planning: A Structured Methodological Approach

This article outlines the process of streamlining existing methods for conceptualizing and planning district heating networks (DHNs) by designing an integrated workflow. Existing solutions are often fragmented or lack accessibility and transparency. In this article, an integrated methodological approach combines Geographic Information System (GIS) supported spatial analysis of heat demands and potentials, generation and simulation of heating networks, and heat generator dimensioning within a unified workflow. The methodology is validated through case studies and aims to enable transparent and reproducible planning of sustainable heating networks. The developed approaches are the result of a preliminary research project funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK) and they are implemented in the open-source software DistrictHeatingSim, which is publicly available on GitHub.