reference supply temperature of a conventional (3rd-generation) district-heating network; 4th-generation networks typically run about 50–70 °C
80–100 °Cestimate
| Value kind | estimate — Interpret this value according to its displayed kind, scope, source, and as-of date. |
|---|---|
| Scope | Reference values, not a design constant: the network's actual seasonal schedule decides what a data center can feed. IEA DHC STEP uses 80/40 °C as its conventional reference pair and 55/25 °C for low-temperature networks, with 60/35 °C the step at which server waste heat becomes directly usable. A warm-water DLC return (45–60 °C) still needs a heat-pump lift for most networks; direct delivery works only where the return, less the exchanger approach, meets the network's supply temperature. |
| As of | 2017 IEA DHC reference |
| Source | IEA DHC Annex TS1 Final Report (2017), §4.1; Yuan et al., Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 219, 115863; IEA DHC Annex XII STEP final report |
| Review | checking…review by 2027-03-01 · standard cadence |
| Recorded changes | last 2026-10-16 · 4 revisions tracked |
| Claim id | supply-temperature-a-conventional-3g-district |
Where the guide uses it
← Full numbers register — every date-stamped figure in the guide, with revision history.