LombHe@t is a well-defined project whose goal is to develop sets of solutions for the decarbonisation of the civil sector (heating of buildings). The project, led by A2A, started in 2020 in partnership with the Politecnico di Milano and one of its start-ups. Lombhe@t aims to identify more favourable energy scenarios for the Lombardy Region, possibly extending into the national domain (in accordance with both economic and environmental criteria), developing a sizeable pilot project using real data to test the performance under operating conditions of domestic heat pumps (electric and natural gas absorption heat pumps).
Achieving the project's objectives is crucial for the rapid deployment of low-carbon technologies and for the completion of the range of decarbonisation options needed to achieve regional objectives.
HOW THE PROJECT CAME ABOUT
In order to identify a solution capable of meeting the EU's ambitious decarbonisation targets for the energy sector, we started from the results of research on the energy scenarios at an EU and a national level, based on the analysis of a mix of efficient generation, storage, management and smart regulation technologies and with the involvement of end-users. It revealed that significant reductions in climate-altering emissions from the civil sector can be achieved through two different approaches:
ATIT is actively involved in the former. The latter, instead, is directed by A2A (which is the leader of this project).
THE ROLE OF ATIT: ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS ABSORPTION HEAT PUMPS ATIT
ATIT carries out both research and development activities for the development of highly innovative technologies such as electric heat pumps (EHP) and natural gas absorption heat pumps (GAHP). For the former, it intends to develop machines that are increasingly efficient, have a lower environmental impact (efficiency and reduced use of greenhouse gases) and are quieter. For the latter, on the other hand, the aim is to identify solutions and variants for solutions that are increasingly efficient (cycle optimisation and component efficiency), more functional, smaller in size and weight, less costly and less noisy.
A2A, the largest DHS player in Italy, is looking to the future to the construction of 4th generation networks. For A2A, investments in new networks already include the use of technologies that exploit unreliable sources. For this reason, the goal of the project is to develop and test a new approach to the management and control of networks that carry recovered or renewable heat, as an enabling factor for the mass supply of 4th generation district heating services to the residents of Lombardy. During 2019, the project received research support funds from an additional funding programme of the Lombardy Region.
