The innovative thermo-chemical (TC) network technology of H-DisNet will contribute to next-generation district energy networks. The technology will exploit high chemical potential of absorption processes for loss-free transport and storage of energy potential. It will be applied to form an intelligent district network with thermal, electric and gas networks. This intelligent thermo-chemical district network will significantly - increase energy efficiency of heat transport and storage, - increase utilization of waste heat and renewables at low temperature - contribute to a wider usage of district networks by allowing heating and cooling in one multifunctional network and by adding the additional services drying and humidity control. - reduce the primary energy usage The project will serve to gain the required knowledge about processes, components and network applications and to demonstrate the feasibility to allow the industrial R&D to pick up the technology and to bring it to the market. Four project work levels guarantee to reach the readiness for broad industrial development: (1) The partners develop the TC components and intelligent network technology and demonstrate it in a residential area and in an industry environment to proof the technology's feasibility. (2) Modelling of TC components serves to carry out simulation of networks. On this basis, smart control strategies and a network identification tool are developed. (3) Based on simulation, an economic and environmental assessment determines the potential of the technology and allows defining the path to market. (4) The dissemination and exploitation strategy operates at two levels: First, it informs a broad audience including energy suppliers, operators, local governments, manufactures and end users about the principles and benefits of the technology. Second, it enables further development of the technology by generating a stakeholder network with the outlook of a full-scale pilot implementation.

This project is aimed at a new technology for heating, cooling, air humidity control and water recovery in greenhouses as well as for drying of agricultural goods using thermo-chemical conversion principles based on the use of salt solutions (thermochemical fluids). The common effect in all applications is the hygroscopic property of thermochemical fluids, allowing an uptake of water vapor from air thus releasing sensible heat involved in the phase change. The technology allows to (1) use unexplored potentials of solar- and residual heat at farm level, (2) to convert and to store the heat into thermochemical potential without thermal losses and (3) to use the potential through re-conversion of the potential into heat within the above-mentioned applications. Within two different demonstrators in Central European Climate (heating) and Mediterranean Climate (cooling, water recovery and desalination) the technology will be tested, further developed and disseminated. Lab tests will explore the processes and materials involved, will include tests on material drying and on interactions between different applications. Development of improved knowledge on modelling of the involved processes, the simulation and control of specific applications and the development of control strategies are further tasks to provide a bright insight into the novel approach. Strategies to bring the technology to market will be developed. Thermochemical applications in agriculture have the potential to significantly reduce the energy consumption in greenhouse climate control as well as in crop drying and will provide an alternative to energy intensive water desalination in arid regions. The uptake, conversion and storage of solar heat from greenhouses even provides the perspective to turn protected intensive horticulture from an energy/water consuming to an energy/water producing method, allowing to secure the important market of food production and food processing and to extend it to new regions.