Heat metering for central thermal energy installation

What is described is a virtual heat metering system (10), comprising: a plurality of sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20), adapted to be associated with a supply circuit of a central thermal installation (I) and arranged for supplying main signals (Qman., Tman., Trit., Pman., Prit., s) indicative of physical quantities representing the operation of the supply circuit (C) in a predetermined period of time (ΔtTOT); a control apparatus (22), comprising: - a memory module (23) arranged for storing a thermal and fluid dynamic model (M) defined initially and representing the central thermal installation (I), identified on the basis of physical quantities representing the operation of the supply circuit (C) and the heat exchanger devices (H1,1,..., H1,n1; H2,1,..., H2,n2;...; Hm,1,..., Hm,nm), detected in specified conditions of operation and stimulation of the installation (I); and data representing the variation of said main signals (Qman., Tman., Trit., Pman., Prit., s) in the period of time (ΔTOT); and - a processing unit (24), arranged for receiving at its input the data representing the variation of the main signals (Qman., Tman., Trit., Pman., Prit., s) in the period of time (ΔtTOT), and configured to process these data according to the thermal and fluid dynamic model (M) and to supply at its output the data (Ê1,1,..., Ê1,n1:Ê2,1,..., Ê2,n2;...;Êm,1,..., Êm,nm) which represent the estimate of the thermal energy (E1,1,..., E1,n1:E2,1,..., E2,n2;...;Em,1,..., Em,nm) individually exchanged between each heat exchanger device (H1,1,..., H1,n1:H2,1,..., H2,n2;...;Hm,1,..., Hm,nm) and the corresponding thermal user (U1,..., Um).