Digitalisation in District Heating and Cooling systems: A tangible perspective to upgrade performance

The objective of the report is to shed light on the current state of digitalisation of the heating and cooling sector and promote its role as a means to develop larger and better-performing District Heating and Cooling (DHC) systems and, by doing so, contribute to the decarbonisation and improvement of the overall energy system.
This report aims to support operators across the value chain in understanding and addressing the opportunities and challenges of digital innovation for decarbonising heat supply. To help the reader navigate through the current insights, the report follows a path through the main topics that correspond to the chapters below:
Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the role of digitalisation in modern district heating and cooling;
Chapter 2 helps put things in perspective, reminding the long-term vision for the DHC industry, to understand the transition path we are going through and the complexity it entails;
Chapter 3 presents the end-user and building’s perspective, which represents the segment of the value chain that, to date, bears the largest untapped potential;
Chapter 4 takes a deep dive into customer data exploitation in the age of GDPR: a crucial aspect to have in mind;
Chapter 5 suggests a logical roadmap to digital uptake, both to assess the current status and plan how to move forward;
Chapter 6 showcases a few selected best practices to inspire action.
This contribution to awareness and comprehension will help close the gap between the demand and supply of digital solutions in the industry. The overall purpose is to enable more efficient and customer-centric delivery of low-carbon, affordable and reliable heat to our homes, in alignment with the EU Green Deal and the ‘Fit-for-55’ package, which set out ambitious climate goals for 2030 and 2050.
This report is based on the input provided by members of the DHC+ Working Group on the Digitalisation of District Heating and Cooling. DHC+ Platform is the Research and Innovation Hub of Euroheat & Power.