Smart and flexible 100% renewable district heating and cooling systems for European cities
SmartReFlex, an Intelligence Energy Europe (IEE) project, aimed to inspire the development of sustainable district heating and cooling solutions for the future by setting up an exchange of ideas, expertise and experience.
The project actions have aimed at increasing the diffusion of smart and flexible district heating and cooling systems including high shares of renewable energy sources (high-RES DHC) in European towns and cities.
The projected aimed to stimulate the creation, organisation and management of a process that will lead to the market introduction in European cities of high-RES DHC. This applies to both new and existing systems and grids. The approaches in this process include, for instance:
- Improvement in regional legislation and framework, facilitating and supporting the implementation of high-RES DHC.
- Integration of high-RES DHC in heat planning at regional and local level.
- Creation of cooperatively-owned companies for managing high-RES DHC systems.
- Study, planning and supporting of new high-RES DHC projects at local level.
In order to practically support all the stakeholders, SmartReFlex has developed the following tools, documents and results, all of them available on the project’s website:
- Guide for regional authorities: Knowledge and inspiring examples on RES DHC for Local Authorities and communities – residents, commercial and industrial enterprises.
- Recommendations for setting up a task force on RES DHC: How to effectively involve all local stakeholders for carrying out a fruitful process towards 100% RES DHC.
- 6 regional strategies: Action plans for 100% RES DHC in the participating Regions.
- Training material: more than 500 people were trained through national workshops on three different topics (design & planning, technical issues, organization and financing).
- 20 case studies: Feasibility studies on real plants at local level and / or policies on RES DHC.
Project duration: From March 2014 to February 2017.
