Glasgow, November 2021
On the 10th of November 2021, on the occasion of COP26, the D2Grids team organised the project mid-term event called “On the road to 5GDHC” to showcase the first results in developing the concept and progress achieved by the pilot sites. The event provided an opportunity for pilot sites to share perspectives with each other and the broader community and encourage the roll-out 5GDHC grids across European cities.
The D2Grids team was happy to welcome over 150 people who attended the conference.
Adam Ben Hamo, Associate at Asper Investment Management, gives a state of the industry presentation on “5GDHC: An Affordable Solution”?
Asper’s work focusses on the affordability and commercialisation of the technology, that means both affordability to developers and owners in the cost of constructing and operating the network, and affordability to customers in delivering true value for money to end users. Asper has set up a fund in 2020 called ‘Dorothea’ to invest in district heating projects in the Netherlands. These projects apply 3G – 5G technology, using a mix of sustainable heat sources including heat pumps, biomass and geothermal.
In his presentation, Adam explains why investing in 5GDHC is financially viable. He argues that 5GDHC projects can be funded by different types of investors such as:
- Long-term external investors (e.g., pension funds, green bonds)
- Energy market investors (e.g., electricity/thermal grid owner, ESCOs)
- End users (energy communities, crowdfunding).
As such, it is critical that developers take all necessary steps to fully understand the technical, financial, and broader features of their projects. Using this information, developers are more likely to be successful in reaching the right investors.
The D2Grids project focuses on developing 5th generation heating and cooling technology i.e. the use of low-temperature waste and renewable heat sources, distributed through district heating networks and stepped-up to consumption temperatures using localized heat pumps. The technology maximizes the use of renewable and low-carbon heat sources whilst minimizing transport losses and enabling long-term heat storage.
Adam Ben-Hamo
PrincipalAdam joined the Asper team in 2018 as an Analyst, having completed internships at Hg in 2016 and Asper in 2018.
His role covers a broad scope assisting the investment team in research, origination, analysis and fundraising.
Prior to joining Asper, Adam led projects at London Strategic Consulting, with a focus on expansion strategies for small and medium sized companies.
Adam holds a first class BSc and MSc in Physics from University College London, where his focus was on high energy particle theory.