- What are electric boilers, and where are they used?
The electric boiler’s water tank acts as a hot water storage place, feeding heat into the district heating network.
Electric boilers are used in district heating to heat homes, schools and workplaces or provide heat for industrial processes. District heating was traditionally produced from fossil energy sources such as coal or natural gas. Electricity is a clean and cost-competitive alternative for a quick green transition.
The number of electric boilers in Caruna’s distribution area has rocketed in just over a year. First, big cities were interested in electric boilers, but now towns and municipalities of all sizes are interested. - What are the implications of electric boilers for local distribution system operators?
It is a huge change.
The electricity required to produce heat for a city is typically significantly higher than the other forms of electricity consumption in the city. If an entire city’s district heating is electrified, it means doubling the electricity needed.
The biggest challenge is whether local distribution system operators and Fingrid’s main grid have enough network capacity. Electric boilers are very quick to build, but electricity networks can take years to build.
Smaller towns and built-up areas with district heating networks need less electricity, but the demand for heating may exceed the entire area’s electricity consumption. An electric boiler could double the electricity consumption in these areas, so it is a major change.
All network operators face the challenge of whether they can invest enough into their electricity networks to meet the requirements of electrification. - How can the efficiency of electric boilers be maximised?
At best, electric boilers are flexible if they are connected to heat accumulators. In this case, no electricity is stored, but when the wind blows, the electric boiler operates. However, heat is stored, allowing electricity fluctuations to be balanced.
