HeatMineDH

To do so, it addresses the need for increased sustainability and resilience in district heating (DH) by focusing on breaking existing barriers hindering the adoption of low-grade heat sources. Acknowledging the predominant reliance on fossil fuels in the DH sector across Europe, the project aims to provide investment plans to 8 DH case studies, emphasizing the integration of low grade (or low temperature) waste heat (or residual heat) and renewable sources.

Execution

HeatMineDH seeks to overcome barriers related to mapping, policy incentives, technical know-how, and perceived high investment costs. The project's comprehensive approach includes assessing, mapping, analysing, and planning for feasibility studies and investment plans to greener, smarter, and more resilient energy systems. The project's impact is anticipated not only in achieving sustainability goals but also in contributing to the broader European energy transition and Net-zero carbon economy targets.

Background

District heating (DH) can contribute to achieving the objectives of the European energy transition and a net-zero economy by replacing consumption of fossil fuels by an increased use of renewable energy sources. This results in heating systems that are more resilient and environmentally friendly. The HeatMineDH project will thus support district heating utilities and municipalities in achieving the efficiency targets along the next 10 years.

Mapping Tool

Waste Heat Explorer of AIT is a WebGIS application designed to visualize and explore waste heat potentials from industrial, urban, wastewater, and solar-thermal sources for integration into district heating networks. It enables stakeholders—such as utilities and energy consultants—to assess the economic and ecological feasibility of utilizing waste heat, supporting strategic energy planning and expanding heat networks without additional generation capacity. The tool uses automated GIS solutions, open data (e.g., building areas, OpenStreetMap tags), and a semi-automatic QGIS plugin to estimate heat availability from sources like supermarkets and data centers. It also fosters collaboration by allowing companies to contribute heat data. The tool covers cities including Vukovar, Karlovac, Milan, Szczecin, Barlinek, Göttingen, Brunswick, Trento, Bolzano, Ospitaletto, and Graz with varying heat sources analyzed per city.

Event

Knowledge Exchange Forums (KEF) are interactive meetings during which engaged stakeholders come together to share challenges and solutions in our journey to decarbonise the termal energy systems in Europe. 

Publications 

Dogkas, G., Tsimpoukis, A., Itskos, G., del Castillo, J.C., Lozano, I., Gustafsson, O., & Nikolopoulos, N. (2025). Analysis of a hybrid heating system with TRNSYS: district heating, heat pumps and photovoltaics in a multi-apartment building. Energy and Buildings, 344, 116011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.116011

Recorded Knowledge Exchange Forums 

Alternative Investment Models for District Heating Networks 3rd April, 2025

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.