District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating. The heat is often obtained from a cogeneration plant burning fossil fuels or biomass, but heat-only boiler stations, geothermal heating, heat pumps and central solar heating are also used, as well as heat waste from factories and nuclear power electricity generation. District heating plants can provide higher efficiencies and better pollution control than localized boilers. According to some research, district heating with combined heat and power (CHPDH) is the cheapest method of cutting carbon emissions, and has one of the lowest carbon footprints of all fossil generation plants.
Biomass fired district heating power plant in Mödling, Austria
Coal heating plant in Wieluń, Poland
The cancelled Russian Gorky Nuclear Heating Plant [ru] in Fedyakovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia
Central solar heating plant at Marstal, Denmark. It covers more than half of Marstal's heat consumption.
Water heating is a heat transfer process that uses an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water include cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating. In industry, hot water and water heated to steam have many uses.
A small tank water heater
Electric-tank–type storage water heater (US)
Gas furnace (top) and storage water heater (bottom) (Germany)
The inside of a hydraulically operated two-stage tankless heater, heated by single phase electric power. The copper tank contains heating elements with 7.2 kW maximum power.