Case StudyDistrict Heating Interface

District heating networks from GIS to NEPLAN — without capturing the data twice

ewz — Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich · Zurich, Switzerland

As a company offering pioneering energy and communication services, ewz provides the full range of services for planning, building, operating and optimizing complex heating and cooling installations. These installations are surveyed and documented in the district heating module (Fachschale Fernwärme) of the GIS.

Challenge: Transferring energy network data from the GIS into the network calculation tool NEPLAN without redundant data entry.
Solution: The SEPM NEPLAN interface for district heating: exports the district heating module in ListXML format, ready to read directly into NEPLAN.
Results: Simple export and import without duplicate data entry, with selection by area and medium.

01Challenge

Capacity calculations must be carried out whenever the district heating network is extended. This is done in the network calculation tool NEPLAN.

The challenge: how can the energy network data be transferred from the GIS into the network calculation tool without having to capture the same data redundantly?

Energy network area with district heating pipes in the GIS — An energy network in the GIS, captured in the district heating module.

02How the data flows

01
District heating module
Energy networks documented in the GIS
02
SEPM NEPLAN interface
ListXML export by network and medium
03
NEPLAN 10
Direct import and network schema
04
Capacity calculation
Pipes with correct dimensions (DN)

03Solution

Export from the district heating module

The SEPM NEPLAN interface for district heating exports data from the district heating module in ListXML format. The interface transfers not only geometries, but also all relevant attributes that are captured in the GIS and required for the calculation.

Geometries plus all calculation-relevant attributes
Areas selected by network, so the entire database doesn't have to be exported
Each energy network can be separated by medium

SEPM X-Translator export dialog for the district heating interface — SEPM X-Translator: running the export through the district heating interface.

Import and network schema in NEPLAN

The exported ListXML file can be read into NEPLAN easily and without loss of time. Without this service, the network would have to be captured in NEPLAN a second time — time and effort that users are spared thanks to the SEPM interface.

List import of the ListXML file in NEPLAN 10 — Import as a list in NEPLAN 10.

District heating network schema in NEPLAN after the import — The network schema in NEPLAN after the import.

Result: network calculation with correct pipe dimensions

The imported data is available in NEPLAN with all pipe dimensions (DN) for the capacity calculation — without having to be entered by hand a second time.

District heating pipes with nominal dimensions in NEPLAN — Result in the network calculation tool: pipes including their dimensions (DN).

“SEPM's district heating interface gives ewz a simple export in exactly the right format.”

ewzElektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich

04Results

01
Simple export of district heating data from the district heating module in ListXML format
02
Direct, lossless import into NEPLAN without duplicate data entry
03
Transfer of all relevant geometries and attributes from the GIS
04
Selection of areas by network and medium instead of exporting the entire database