Heating

Heating is an optional feature and is only available when seasons are enabled in game settings.

Background

District heating (also known as heat networks or teleheating) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating. The heat is often obtained from a cogeneration plant burning fossil fuels or biomass, but heat-only boiler stations, geothermal heating, heat pumps and central solar heating are also used, as well as heat waste from factories and nuclear power electricity generation.

District heating plants can provide higher efficiencies and better pollution control than localized boilers. According to some research, district heating with combined heat and power (CHPDH) is the cheapest method of cutting carbon emissions, and has one of the lowest carbon footprints of all fossil generation plants.

Gameplay

Heating is a demanded utility, similar to Electricity. Without heating, workers' health will deteriorate, causing them to flee the republic or die. Heating is distributed to structures by heating plants and heat exchangers. Heat is only a necessity for some buildings, like apartments, stores, fire stations, schools, etc.

Heat Generation

Heat is generated in Heat Plants. Currently both heating plants are coal fired. The Big Heating Plant, just called Heating Plant, has 7 heating pipe output connections that can hook up big or small heating pipes, and has one conveyor input. The Small Heat Plant has 4 heating pipe output connections that can only hook up small heating pipes, and also has one conveyor input.

Heat Distribution

Heat is distributed to buildings directly from the heating plant or can be transported in pipes to pumping stations or heat exchangers. Heat pipes have a maximum distance of 1000m. Buildings that demand heat store a small amount of hot water, so any intermittency in heating generation will not immediately affect buildings.

Notes

• The maximum temperature out of the heating plant is 90 degrees Celsius.
• Temperature above 20 degrees Celsius in buildings is good, everything below will impact health and happiness of citizens.
• The closer the building to the heat exchanger, the higher the temperature in a building.
• Heat pipes above ground lose more heat to the environment during transport compared to underground heating pipes. Downside of underground heating pipes: takes longer to build and more expensive.
• Keep the heating plant at about 700m away from the city edge you are not expanding to, because of pollution.