Romania pays too much attention to electricity, photovoltaic panels and batteries, while the modernization of heating systems and the development of centralized cooling solutions are neglected, warns the president of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI), Dumitru Chisăliță.
In an analysis published on Tuesday, the specialist claims that the heatwaves are changing the profile of energy consumption in Romania, moving the consumption peak from the cold season to the summer, against the background of the increasingly intense use of air conditioners.
The heatwave puts pressure on the electricity grid
According to Dumitru Chisăliță, in a month with seven days of heatwave, an apartment of approximately 70 square meters can additionally consume between 50 and 130 kWh of electricity just for cooling.
At the level of a city, this means hundreds of additional MWh consumed precisely at times when the electricity grids are already in demand.
“The heat wave doesn’t just increase discomfort. It shifts the peak of electricity consumption to summer, especially through air conditioners,” warns the expert.
Heating must also be adapted for cooling
The AEI president points out that Romania still has an important heating infrastructure, with over 4,380 kilometers of networks and approximately 1.05 million customers, but the system is affected by high losses, insufficient investments and outdated technologies.
In his opinion, the future belongs to modern centralized heating and cooling systems, based on 4th generation heating and 5th generation systems, which allow both heating homes and cooling them in the hot season.
Why “to each his own air conditioner” is not enough
Chisăliță claims that the exclusive use of individual air conditioners is not a sustainable solution for big cities.
According to him, they strongly increase energy consumption during peak periods, evacuate heat to the outside and contribute to accentuating the phenomenon of “urban heat island”, at the same time putting pressure on the power grids.
Different solutions for big cities
The expert proposes the modernization of heating systems according to the specifics of each city.
In the case of Bucharest, the recommendation is to preserve and transform the current heating system by reducing the network temperature, using high-capacity heat pumps, developing centralized cooling pilot areas and introducing thermal energy storage systems.
For Cluj-Napoca, the solution would be the development of modern heating and cooling networks in the new neighborhoods, gradually abandoning individual gas plants.
In Timișoara, where the summers are very hot, the specialist recommends investing in trigeneration and centralized cooling systems for hospitals, university campuses and blocks of flats.
In the case of Iasi, the priority should be the modernization of the current heating system and the expansion of centralized cooling for public buildings.
Oradea is considered by Dumitru Chisăliță to be one of the best examples for the development of a “smart thermal city”, due to the geothermal resources it has.
For Constanta, he proposes the use of heat pumps that use water as an energy source and the development of centralized cooling systems for hotels and commercial areas.
The conclusion of the analysis is that Romania should not repeat, in the field of cooling buildings, the model applied in the case of heating, in which each home installs its own system.
“Air conditioning solves the comfort of the apartment. Urban cooling solves the problem of the city”, emphasizes Dumitru Chisăliță.
