Solar power in district heating. P2H flexibility concept

District heating (DH) systems present a great opportunity to increase the proportion of renewable energy used in both heating and cooling. Renewable energy can be integrated into DH to account for heat load and also for power production, which in cogeneration systems is used for both heat generation and transmission. The main aim of this research is to determine whether (and also how) to integrate solar PV panels into DH systems to achieve an economically feasible, flexible energy production solution by using a power-to heat concept. To reach greater depth in this research, the system dynamics (SD) approach was used. The results show that it is not profitable to install larger PV panels than are needed to provide for summer electricity use. However, use of the power-to-heat concept can expand the flexibility of a solar power system and increase the overall efficiency or economic feasibility when the power generated exceeds consumption. When integrating a larger PV area, the surplus power can either be transferred back to the grid or used for heat production via a heat pump. On average, about 47% of excess power is converted into heat and 53% is sent to the grid. Results show that policies both in the form of subsidies for PV panels and increases in the price of heat can significantly influence the results. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.