Dalkia key words

Heat supply system

A system consisting of a source or sources of thermal energy and the thermal energy distribution equipment, interconnected for the purpose of supplying thermal energy to the end consumers for heating, cooling, hot water preparation, and other processes, on the basis of licences for the generation and distribution of thermal energy.

Combined heat and power generation, or cogeneration

Combined heat and power generation in a single production process.

Renewable energy sources

Renewable non-fossil natural sources of energy, which include wind and solar power, geothermal energy, and energy of water, soil, air, biomass, landfill gas, sludge gas, and biogas.

Supply point

Point of delivery specified in the thermal energy supply contract, at which the thermal energy passes from the supplier’s ownership to the customer’s ownership.

Emissions

Air pollutants. Their maximum concentration is found near their source (chimney, tail pipe, etc.) and it gradually decreases as they blend with air etc.

Ambient pollution

Emissions that come into contact with the environment. They can accumulate in soil, water, or organisms. In practice, ambient pollution is caused by heavy metals or other pollutants that are deposited in the environment, for example along roads or into the food chain. Ambient pollution is a consequence of emissions and their concentration is constant and lower than that of emissions. Ambient pollution stays close to the earth’s surface (it is regularly measured in cities). It also includes fallout, which is solid particles fallen to the ground.

Heat transfer station

A facility for adjusting the parameters of the heat-carrying medium (steam, hot water) to the values required by the heat consuming equipment or the house (building) heat transfer station and for controlling the supply of heat or hot water via the connected thermal network or service pipes.

House / building transfer station (DPS/OPS)

A building heat-transfer station is a station that supplies the service to the building or buildings, which are integrated structures technologically interconnected through shared heat consuming equipment and connected to the heat transfer station. A building may have one or several entrances to ‘houses’.

Load profile

The profile of heat consumption over time, which forms an integral part of the contract between the heat supplier and the customer.

Heat meter

Device used to measure the thermal energy supplied (see Regulation No. 345/2002).

Primary heat supply

Supply from the generating source to the heat transfer station.

Secondary heat supply

Supply downstream from the heat transfer station.

Degree day

Indicator used e.g. for comparing the consumptions in the heating seasons in various years with different climatic conditions. It is defined as the difference between the average calculated interior temperature in the heated premises in °C, determined as a weighted average based on the volume (m3) of the enclosed heated space (usually +18 °C) and the average daytime ambient air temperature on the heating days in the heating season in °C, multiplied by the number of the heating days in the period.

Double-component price

The double-component price consists of the variable part and fixed part of the price. The variable component of the price is related to the unit quantity of thermal energy and represents the variable economically justifiable costs whose amount depends on the costs required to produce 1 GJ of heat (fuel, electricity, process water). The fixed component of the price includes the fixed economically justifiable costs related to the existence of the required production capacity, distribution networks and heat transfer stations, which are not directly dependent on the quantity of the thermal energy supplied (inspections, repairs, depreciation, etc.)

Thermal losses

Unused part of the thermal energy in the process from the point of generation to the point of consumption.

Heat consumption

Amount of heat actually consumed over a certain period of time (MWh/day, MWh/month, MWh/year, GJ/day, GJ/month, GJ/year).

Hot water (formerly ‘hot service water’ - HSW)

Safe water intended for bathing, washing and laundry, but not for drinking or cooking; it is prepared from drinking water.