Analysis of the Air Quality of a District Heating System with a Biomass Plant

Heating is one of the major causes of pollution in urban areas, producing high concentrations of aero-dispersed particulate matter (PM) that can cause serious damage to the respiratory system. A possible solution is the implementation of a district heating system, which would decrease the presence of conventional heating systems, reducing PM emissions. The case study considered involves the municipality of Serra San Bruno (Italy), located near a biomass plant, which could play the role of a thermal conversion plant for a possible district heating network. To determine the heating incidence on pollution, the large users in the area were identified. The large users' consumption estimation was carried out, obtaining the thermal energy requirement linked to the residential, which is about 3.5 times that of all the large users. Through air quality measuring devices, PM concentrations were measured for the winter and the summer period. PM emissions were then estimated using emission factors and the decreases in PM concentrations were calculated if part of the domestic users were converted to district heating, compatibly with the possibility of supplying energy to the biomass power plant. The replacement of conventional plants in favor of a district heating network has a positive impact on PM pollution.