(May 2025) The event aimed to explore various potential heat sources that could be used for heat networks in Edinburgh. First, speakers set out Edinburgh’s plan for heat networks and its updated Local Heat & Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) with its new heat network zones and the rationale for reducing them from 17 to 11.
Edinburgh City Council drew together a long list of multiple potential heat sources to investigate further. Many heat sources on it were discarded due to environmental, landscape and cost factors. It is still unclear what exactly will be the final primary and secondary sources in Edinburgh. However, this event considered what these are likely to be:
- Sea water
- Wastewater
- Data centre
- Mine water
- Geothermal
- Incineration
Sources deemed not in scope due to location are bioenergy, waste heat from hydrogen electrolysis or waste heat from transformers. However, these may work for other local authorities, or as a localised additional heat source.