Thermal Energy Network

A thermal energy network, or TEN, is a type of district heating and cooling system in which a shared water loop exchanges heat with the ground, often through shallow geothermal boreholes, with connections to multiple buildings that use heat pumps for heating, cooling and potentially water heating. Unlike conventional district heating, a thermal energy network circulates water at a relatively low or ambient temperature, so each connected building uses its own water-source heat pump to raise or lower that temperature as needed. Thermal energy networks are commonly classified in technical literature as a form of fifth-generation district heating and cooling.