District heat reform: Helen wants to buy surplus heat from its customers
Helen wants to buy surplus heat from companies and properties. Open district heat increases diversity in heat procurement and promotes circular economy and climate-neutral energy production.
In open district heat, the district heating network is utilised in an even more diverse way than before. District heat can be produced with increased efficiency in terms of economy and the environment.
Two-way heat trade is meant for properties, companies and residential buildings, which use Helen’s district heat and the operation of which generate heat that is suitable as such for use in the district heating network. Trading possibilities are established in each case separately.
For example, industrial processes may produce directly utilisable heat with a sufficiently high temperature. On the other hand, real estate companies and housing co-operatives may have low-temperature heat that requires a temperature increase before it can be utilised in the district heating network.
“When the customer sells their surplus heat to Helen, they will also improve the cost-effectiveness of their energy efficiency measures, take part in emission-free heating in Helsinki and contribute to the promotion of climate neutrality,” says Helen’s Director Marko Riipinen.
“Helen wants to make as efficient use of the existing district heating network as possible. By utilising surplus heat, we can reduce the use of fossil fuels and improve the energy-efficiency of our energy system,” Riipinen continues.
The pricing of heat purchased by Helen is transparent and even-handed to all producers. The prices of purchased heat change according to the time of the year, and they are available on the helen.fi website
Facts:
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Open district heat means a two-way heat market where customers can buy district heat and sell the heat they have produced to an energy company.
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Helen buys heat from sites, which produce heat that is suitable for utilisation as such in the district heating network. The temperature of district heat water varies between +80 and +115 ºC according to the time of year.
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Heat generated in an ordinary residential building can be utilised by Helen when the property is using its own heat production equipment, such as heat pumps, which can be used for processing the heat for utilisation in the district heating network.
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Helen pays for the heat it buys according to the public pricing model. The purchase price of heat varies according to the different pricing seasons of the year. It is impacted by the district heat production costs and the demand for district heat at any given time.
