SIMULATION OF URBAN HEATING SYSTEMS' RETROFITTING PROJECTS: FROM CONCEPT TO INSTRUMENT

Updated normative documents within the Fit for 55 legislative package envisage increased dynamics in achieving European Green Deal goals, which are obligatory for EU countries. This directly applies to over 65 million energy-inefficient buildings in EU27 urban areas as well as heat supply systems. However, unified funding for long-term renovation programs is not planned. To respond quickly to diverse financing options with distinct conditions and target variables, a costly and time-consuming elaboration of detailed renovation projects becomes ineffective. The article outlines the functional algorithm developed for the innovation sandbox, which is intended for the simulation of various renovation/modernization options in the overall urban heating system including heated buildings, district heating network and heat sources. The aim is crafting the application/project that meets the specific conditions to the maximum and provides high performance-price ratio. The algorithm is founded on the previously developed methodological concept. Created sandbox's algorithm: • encompasses the analysis of all components of the overall heating system; • is applicable to the requirements of relevant projects and available funding options; • offers a flexible pre-design assessment of the benefits to be achieved by the project; • capable to consolidate many individual projects; • provides objective and sufficiently precise results for the initial simulation and evaluation of project variations; • does not necessitate specific knowledge in building physics and economics; • utilizes a limited set of input indicators. Through the sandbox, both central and local governments, as well as building owners, can effectively adapt to evolving funding and/or project tender rules.