SLOVENIA

General notes on Slovene DHS

In general, the district heating (DH) sector remains one of the most important pillars for heat supply in Slovenia, particularly in densely populated urban areas. The downward trend of the past years (2012-2016) in the number of consumers of heat connected to district heating systems (DHS) has turned. In 2017 it increased by 5.4%. In that year the heat supply was provided by 93 distribution systems from 55 heat suppliers in 64 Slovenian municipalities. Consumption from DH systems increased by 2.3% compared to 2016, and by 6.7% compared to 2015. At the same time 940 GWh of electricity were produced in co-generation of heat and power (CHP), whereas the share of heat from CHP accounted for 86.8% of all generated heat. The primary energy source of heat production remains coal (56% in 2017), followed by natural gas (26.5%). While heat from renewable energy sources reaches almost 13%.

The use of excess or waste heat from industrial or service processes in Slovenia is in premature phase, but the volume of waste heat utilisation is increasing and is foreseen to become one of the key heat sources in the future. One of the likely most attractive heat sources is geothermal, particularly in regions where geological conditions enable successful and safe exploitation of heat from the ground. Currently one DHS with geothermal energy operates in Slovenia. There is also limited biogas potential, mainly as fuel for CHP plants. The solar thermal sector is not (yet) high on the agenda among sectors to be developed or supported in Slovenia.

KeepWarm resources

KeepWarm Showroom of replicable and bankable DHS pilot projects

The purpose of this Service Pitch Book is to relay the availability of replicable, bankable examples of DH-retrofits for both energy efficiency (EE) and integrating more sustainable energy sources (i.e. RES and/or excess heat, ExH), as well as providing information about national contexts, especially useful to audiences outside a particular country. It highlights the pilot DHSs which have been actively participating in KeepWarm’s activities, giving them visibility as well as stimulating networking opportunities to reach out to them directly for improving DH even further.

This Showroom has been translated into the languages of KeepWarm project partners. Please find here the Slovenian version.

KeepWarm Guidance Document

This guidance document has been created as a means of helping you navigate some of the key issues involved in upgrading your district heating (DH) by using more sustainable energy sources, namely from a variety of viable renewable energy sources and/or excess heat harvestable from industrial/commercial processes. Integrating and fully-switching to these greener DH alternatives makes sense not only at an operational level, but is greatly supportive, if not essential, for the successful implementation of a variety of Europe’s flagship policy initiatives.

This Guidance Document has been translated into the languages of KeepWarm project partners. Please find here the Slovenian version.

Capacity Building

The tailor made Capacity Building programm for Slovenia covers training topics identified by Slovenian DHS operators and staff during the needs assessment phase. The highest priorities have been given to topics dealing with the integration of RES and EE. Top priority topics were additionally identified in technical, organisational, financial and managerial topics. The trainings have been evaluated through anonymous questionnaires by the trainees.

Replicable DHS demo cases

News archive

Country project partner

Jozef Stefan Institute is the main technological institute in Slovenia. The focus of its Energy Efficiency Centre is on strategic energy planning. It supports policy makers on the latter, on renewable energy sources, the reduction of GHG emissions and air pollutants. It cooperates with government institutions, industry and other institutions. In KeepWarm, JSI will ensure the development of national and regional action plans for retrofitting DHS and support Slovenian pilot projects.

The Energy Agency of Savinjska, Šaleška and Koroška Regions (KSSENA) operates in 3 of the most forested Slovenian regions. KSSENA is an energy expert, focusing on renewable energy sources, rational use of energy and project management. It has been involved in several such projects at a national and European level and prepares feasibility studies, energy concepts and other documents for municipalities. For KeepWarm, it supports the development of pilot projects in Slovenia.