Publication
District Energy Systems (DES) have been widely recognized as crucial components for successful national energy transitions towards meeting 2050 greenhouse gas emissions' reduction targets. While District Heating Network (DHN) still has a role to play in these transitions, so-called "Anergy Networks" (AN) allow to exploit synergies between heating and cooling sectors, representing a promising opportunity to improve energy efficiency in urban areas. This type of thermal network combines the provision of cold (via direct cooling) and heat (via Heat Pumps (HPs)). To fully exploit the benefits of DES all the components involved in the district must be optimized, from the heat source to the final users, including the distribution network. The numerous studies in the literature aimed at the optimization of DES proves the increasing interest in the topic. However, the authors have noticed a gap in the definition of network temperatures and the comparison of different networks types. In this framework, this study aims at proposing a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) superstructure for the identification of optimal preliminary DES designs and operation, including an anergy and heating network at different temperatures.