Member directory

A2A is currently the largest Italian multi-utility company, a leader in the energy, environment, heat and networks sectors. It is the second-largest domestic producer of energy, as well as the second largest operator in the distribution networks for electricity and one of the largest in gas and water cycle networks.

For over 40 years we have been designing and developing heating production and distribution in Milan, Brescia and Bergamo. Thanks to our experience and expertise in the field, we attend to the specific needs of each client by upgrading and comprehensively managing innovative heating systems.

Aalborg University (AAU) offers education and research within the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, technical and health sciences. The reasearch and teaching of the Department of Development and Planning reaches from the social science aspects of development (technological, environmental, international and administrative aspects) to physical planning, sector planning, land management, and to technical subjects such as road engineering, road safety, surveying and mapping. In the field of energy, the Sustainable Energy Planning Research Group works with an interdisciplinary approach to sustainable energy planning. The subject of study is energy planning in gerneral and focus is on technical and geographical aspects, such as energy system analysis, economic and institutional aspects, such as feasability studies and public regulation seen in the light of technological change.

AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE INTEC) is an Austrian research institute based in Gleisdorf. It currently employs about 84 people from 11 different countries. It is one of the leading institutes in the field of applied research. The institute is involved in multiple projects concerning district heating and has its work focus on spatial energy planning, integration of large-scale thermal storage, absorption heat pumps and solar collectors, development of low-temperature DH systems and concepts, optimizing of existing DH systems and holistic approaches for sustainable heating and cooling supply concepts.

AGFW is the German energy efficiency association for heating, cooling and cogeneration.

The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria’s largest non-university research institute, with a staff of 1100 employees, takes a leading position in the Austrian innovation system in the areas of energy, mobility, health and environment as well as safety and security in Austria, and a key role in Europe focusing on the infrastructure topics of the future. The Energy Department is specialised in developing sustainable energy systems based on cutting edge research. It favours a holistic approach to the environmentally-friendly electricty supply, heating and climate control of the buildings and cities of tomorrow. Using sophisticated measurement technology and innovative simutation tools, its interdisciplinary research teams combine decentralised energy producers, storages, efficient distribution networks and smart buildings with efficient heating and cooling technologies to form a single, sustainable energy system. The Department’s main priority is to encourage innovation in the energy sector through targetted research and development, thereby helping to shape the energy system of tomorrow. It covers the research areas Integrated Energy Systems and Energy Infrastructure, and employs more than 140 people.

Alperia is an Energy Utility based in Bolzano, Northern Italy, counting 1000 collaborators and a turnover of 1,5 billion € . Its main fields of activity are: renewable energy production (mainly hydropower 4,5 TWh), energy distribution (8 km of electricity grid), customer care and energy trading (225.000 costumers), district heating and energy services.

Alperia group includes several district energy companies and manages 6 district heating systems in the province of South Tyrol.

Ambiente italia S.r.l (AMBIT) is a research and consulting institute working in the field of environmental and territorial planning and analysis. Established in 1995, AI has merged some of the first environmental planning and analysis experiences developped in Italy since the 70s. AI works in nine main research areas: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Urban Land Planning, Natural Resources Planning and Management, Strategic Assessment / Policies Audit, Local Sustainability Planning / Agenda 21, Energy Resources Planning and Suistainable Management, Waste Planning and Sustainable Management, Product Policies, Business Management / Environmental Management Systems / Business Environmental Reporting. The above listed research areas are divided into research units, each one directed by a senior researcher.

The staff is made up of senior and junior researchers and research assistants with different vocational training and expertise. Since its establishment, AI developped Energy Planning studies for 2 regions, 14 provinces and 28 municipalities; 60 energy audits in public buildings, 30 training courses and 40 EU projects in the energy field, where it participated as coordinator, WP leader or simple partner. AI carried out studies and research on behalf of different European Union Directorates, Italian Ministries and Agencies, of more than 40 research institutes and Italian and foreign universities, of more than 100 local authorities (municipalities, provinces and regions), of a number of different private enterprises.

Arteria Technologies offers a web-platform to plan and optimize district heating networks, helping energy companies reduce time, cost and CO2 emissions while planning and operating their assets. Use cases such as performance auditing, network expansion or waste heat integration can be done comfortably in the browser, allowing for fast and easy scenario analysis. GIS integration allows a seamless data import from existing systems and reduces the effort of data handling.

Leading Manufacturer of District Heating & Cooling substations.

Active in Europe, Russia and North America.

Based in Sweden part of NIBE group.

Daikin Europe is a leading provider of heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration technology for residential, commercial and industrial purposes. We offer a wide range of products, solutions and services to create indoor environments that are beneficial to people’s health and well-being. Our advanced technology enables our customers to reduce their environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable society.

Dalkia provides the expertise needed to help clients develop, deliver and manage energy solutions more ecologically and economically sustainable. The moto of this French utility company is: producing energy efficiency.

Danfoss engineers technologies that empower the world of tomorrow to build a better future. Energy efficient technologies empower smart communities and industries to create healthier and more comfortable climates in our buildings and homes.

Danish District Heating Association (Dansk Fjernvarme) organise 370 Danish district heating companies, representing more than 99 % of all district heating sold in Denmark to over 2/3 of all households. 310 members are consumer owned cooperatives, the remaining are publicly owned companies.

We facilitate cooperation between members and we promote their interests towards authorities, other organisations and stakeholders in general. 65 % of all district heating sold in Demark is carbon neutral.

Within the DHC+ Technology Platform, Dansk Fjernvarme is represented by Grøn Energi.

”E.ON is an international, privately owned energy supplier based in Essen, Germany and has around 43,000 employees. E.ON’s strategy focuses our company systematically on the new energy world of empowered and proactive customers, distributed energy, energy efficiency, local energy systems, sustainable cities and district solutions, the increasing electrification of energy consumption, and digital solutions. By seizing the initiative, E.ON can—for the benefit of customers, employees, business partners, shareholders, and society in general—take advantage of the significant opportunities created by the transformation of the energy world.

We aim to add value in all our businesses by delivering an outstanding performance in all areas and by putting customers at the center of everything we do. Examples include continual innovation, an unambiguous commitment to sustainability, the expansion of digital architecture across the organisation, and a strong brand.  E.ON aims to become the partner of choice for energy and customer solutions.”

Efficacity is the urban transition institution, established in 2014 under the auspices of the investments for the future programme (PIA) sponsored by the French government.

Unique of its kind in France, Efficacity is a partnership-based R&D centre in which some thirty public and private actors are involved. Based in the heart of the Cité Descartes, a French sustainable city cluster, Efficacity is made up of over 130 experts ad researchers from a wide range of fields, working together to develop and implement innovative solutions to building the city of tomorrow: a city that is energy efficient and massively low carbon

Created in September 2001 as European Economic Interest Grouping between EDF-Electricité de France and KIT-Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and located in Karlsruhe (Germany), EIFER-European Institute for Energy Research- is employing around 110 staff members of different nationalities, with multi-disciplinary skills. EIFER’s activity on District Heating and Cooling includes projects on technical improvement of existing DHN through analysis of monitoring data, modelling of smart thermal grids, feasibility studies on renewable integration and networks refurbishment.

EIFER collaborates on DHC with cities, networks’ operators, other universities and research centres, and industries.

ELES is a Slovenian electricity transmission system operator. With a professional approach, know-how and advanced technology, ELES has been providing safe, reliable, and uninterrupted electricity transmission throughout Slovenia and across the borders for more than 90 years.

As the energy landscape is changing very fast, ELES is strengthening its research and innovation activities and cooperation with international partners in the areas that will be of key importance for the success of company operations in the future. ELES participates in numerous international projects, in which partners aim to find solutions to the most troubling issues in the electricity system. Recognizing the interdependence between different industries, they have started also cross-sectoral integration in the field of e-mobility, gas, and heat.

The Swedish Energy Research Centre is a leading-edge R&D company in the field of sustainable development consisting of large parts of Swedish energy research and development. Our overall aim is to coordinate and conduct the Swedish industry’s joint research and development in order for new knowledge to create public awareness and value for our stakeholders.

The institute is a wholly state-owned, non-profit scientific institution financed on a per-project basis through the execution of project development contracts won following international and national competitive biddings. Today, the institute has 89 employees, of which 84 with higher educations qualifications, 17 PhD (in various fields).

Development of the energy system and relations within require the acquisition of new knowledge and competences by all the actors in the energy sector and state administration, as well as the education of citizens. Education and provision of information is becoming the institute's increasingly significant activity, which requires the continuous professional training of our experts and their active participation in educating others.

EnergyVille unites the Flemish research institutes KU Leuven, VITO, imec and UHasselt for research on sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems. Its researchers deliver expertise to industry and cities on energy efficient buildings and intelligent networks such as smart grids and advanced heat networks.

Enerhack is an education platform with a mission of raising awareness in the field of energy (including district heating and district cooling). We organise energy summer camps for kids, energy subject in schools and trainings / courses for engineers (including district heating and district cooling engineering courses)

ENGIE is a global energy player and an expert operator in the three businesses of electricity, natural gas and energy services. The Group develops its businesses around a model based on responsible growth to take on the major challenges of energy’s transition to a low-carbon economy: access to sustainable energy, climate-change mitigation and adaptation, security of supply and the rational use of resources.

Eurac Research is a private research center founded in 1992 in Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol). Our research addresses the greatest challenges of the future: health, energy, well-functioning political and social systems and an intact environment.

The Institute for Renewable Energy conducts applied research on advanced energy systems, based on or including sustainable energy sources. Its activities include national and international research projects, as well as direct cooperation with industry partners for the development of new products and the evaluation of technological solutions. The Institute also supports the promotion of renewable energy technologies and assists political decision-makers with scientific consultancy. 
 

EWE is a utility company in the electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, information technology and environmental sectors.

Finnish Energy (ET) is one of the most important branch organisations, whose opinions are of great value in national and international policymaking and in the public debate. It aims to promote use of district heating and electricity as a solution to environmental problems and to meet the demands of higher energy efficiency.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI analyses the origins and impacts of innovations, including the short- and long-term developments of innovation processes and the impacts of new technologies and services on society. On this basis, Fraunhofer ISI is able to provide its clients from industry, politics and science with recommendations for action and perspectives for key decisions.

The expertise of the institute is founded on scientific competence as well as an interdisciplinary and systemic research approach.

Gradyent transforms district heating networks with the power of data and smart analytics.

Founded in 1983, Halmstad University is an independent university offering about 40 degree programmes and 200 courses in exciting, cutting-edge areas. It provides education and research in three key areas: Information Technology, Innovation Sciences, and Health and Lifestyle.

The HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen is a German state university in Lower Saxony. The university combines six faculties with more than 6000 students in three cities: Hildesheim, Holzminden and Göttingen.

HAWK’s research priorities are: laser and plasma technology, rural areas: social, economic and structural development prospects and, sustainable production and use of biogenic raw materials. The latter research area includes the research group “Sustainable Energy and

Environmental technology (NEUTec)” which, among other topics, focuses on applied research and development in the field of energy technology and process engineering, waste management, as well as, environmental technology with a focus on: efficient increase of energy supply systems, decarbonisation of district heating systems and integration of RES, optimisation and integration of thermal storage, modelling and simulation of district heating systems, optimisation of biomass technology, solid biofuels and thermal processes such as pyrolysis and hydro-thermal carbonisation, as well as, life cycle analysis, sustainability and energy and climate protection management.

HeatConsult is an international engineering consultancy company specializing in state-of-the-art designs for district heating (DH), district cooling (DC), and gas supply systems. Our experience spans residential, commercial, and industrial district designs in Europe and South America with more than 1000 successful engineering projects completed since 2011.

The Institute for Resource and Energy Strategies (IREES) works in the area of sustainable energy and resource utilisation, focusing on new technologies and services for energy and material efficiency in enterprises, buildings and low-emission production processes. IREES carries out interdisciplinary work in its own teams with close connections among the three business units: Energy Efficiency Company Networks, Energy Projections and Technologies and Socio-Scientific Evaluation. Here, among other things, analyses are made of market barriers and how to overcome them via policy measures and business self-organization, energy audits and strategies for enterprises and municipalities.

IREES is a private research institute established in 2006 and is active in climate change, sustainable development and energy efficiency in industry. Due to the vast diversity of specialized know-how required for such an activity, IREES works in close collaboration with other partners across Europe. IREES carries out research and consultations for several Federal Ministries in Germany, the European Commission, International Governmental Institutions and industrial companies.

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute was jointly founded in 1966 by the Swedish state and national business interests — with a view of carrying out research on industrial air and water issues. Today it is an environmental agency concentrating on much more than that. Common to all assignments is the interaction between ecological, economic and social perspectives.

The Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) is the leading Slovenian scientific research institute, covering a wide range of basic and applied research. The Energy Efficiency Centre (JSI-EEC) is a department dealing with R&D and consultancy in the fields of integrated resource planning and energy (e.g. policy, efficiency, renewables, management), climate and environmental protection issues and energy performance contracting. JSI-EEC provides national energy projections and calculations of GHG and air pollutant emissions, prepares strategic documents and evaluates the implementation of related targets.

Activities include conducting energy audits, feasibility studies and implementing energy management in industry, public utilities, and commercial and public sector organisations. JSI-EEC has extensive experience with cogeneration and district heating, it has implemented advanced approaches to integrated spatial and energy modelling and planning, and provides strategic support in the development of energy concepts for municipalities

Kamstrup serves energy companies, utilities and the submetering business around the world with innovative metering solutions for electricity, heat, cooling and water.

Logstor is the leading manufacturer of preinsulated pipe systems in the world, which ensure energy-efficient and sustainable transport of liquids and gases for district heating and cooling and for the shipping, oil and gas industries. The company employs around 1,200 people in 14 different countries. Production is carried out at the group’s ten factories in Denmark, China, Finland, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

Luleå University of Technology is leading in Sweden within the area of rendering more efficient basic industries and other industries using information and communication technology, so-called ProcessIT. To establish ourselves as a player on the European stage, we make use of our multidisciplinary strengths and the networks within which we have a leading position.

A key area is ProcessIT (or Process industrial automation) in which several Swedish companies are world leaders in its development, delivery and application. The area is very important in order to maintain and further develop a competitive national process industry. The area constitutes a global market with growth potential for SMEs through which they can grow by developing and commercialising innovations via corporate, university and divisional collaborations.

As a result of continuous development and re-organisation, Department of Energy Sciences, Faculty of Engineering of Lund University is today a big department including 90 employees: 12 full time professors, 2 professor emeriti, 4 senior lecturers, 1 university teacher, a few post docs and about 40 PhD students.

The research covers a wide range of phenomena, mechanisms, components, processes and systems in five main research areas: Efficient Energy Systems; Combustion Engines; Thermal Power Engineering; Fluid Mechanics; Heat Transfer.

Mijnwater in Heerlen deploys and operates what is probably the leading example of a 5^th Generation District Heating and cooling Grid (5GDHC). While most such systems are still small, Mijnwater provides heating and cooling services to 250000 m² of floor space; 40 km of trenches were dug for the main piping; it delivers 20TJ/a heating, and 20 TJ/a of cooling; peak heat demand is 1.7 MW; it operates 100 high performance heatm pumps of 200 kW, and 100 booster heat pumps for  hot tapwater; it serves large office buildings, supermarkets, shops, educational buildings, industry, and 400 dwellings.

The surrounding region of Parkstad Limburg plans for it to serve 120000 dwellings plus commercial builsings, by 2040. That makes a floorspace of 20 million m². An investment of 3G€ for 2040.

Newheat is a renewable heat supplier and a leader in solar heat for industrial processes and district heating networks. Newheat offers decarbonisation solutions combining solar thermal, heat recovery and thermal storage systems, for which it provides all of the development, design and all of the financing.

NODA Intelligent Systems (NODA) is a spin-off SME from AI research at Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden. NODA was founded in 2005 and has offices in Sweden and Germany. NODA is primarily active on the Swedish and Polish markets, but is now also establishing itself on the markets in Germany, France, Benelux and the UK. The focus of NODA is to develop and market Smart Heat Grid solutions for thermal systems like district heating and cooling, heat pumps and gas.

A Smart Heat Grid coordinates production constraints and consumer behaviour in order to achieve higher energy efficiency. NODA works in the whole production and delivery chain regarding product development from basic innovation research to operational products and services.

Norsk Fjernvarme is an interest organisation for the Norwegian district heating industry. The association’s main goal is to promote the development of district heating and hydronic heating and cooling, based primarily on renewable or recycled energy.

It currently represents 47 companies in production and distribution of district heating, and nearly 80 associate members with interests in the industry (suppliers, consultants, universities and colleges, governments and other organisations).

Optit, founded in 2007 as a spin-off of the Alma Mater Università di Bologna, develops and supplies advanced Decision Support Systems based on Mathematical modelling, Operations Research and Data Science.

Leveraging on a mix of interdisciplinary competences (mathematics and statistics, machine learning, business consulting, ICT and SW application development), we support business and industrial customers in making the most of their data in order to optimise design and planning from strategic (long term investment planning) down to day-to-day operations, with the best mix of descriptive analytics, simulation, forecasting and optimisation tools and services.

More than 350 people at the Energy Department of Politecnico di Milano deal with the energy world in its complexity and in its continuous evolution. Subjects of study are the disciplines and technologies related to production, conversion, transport and final uses of energy, considering their social and environmental complex implications.

Concearning DH&C, our researches aim to improve efficiency, reduce fossil fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of existing and new DHC systems.

We support and cooperate with DHC suppliers and municipalities during the planning and operational phase and we participate in national and international research projects.

The Energy Department at Politecnico di Torino is the leading structure in the field of energy and sustainable development. The main goal is to improve existing technologies in the energy sector, to promote innovation and to contribute to the sustainable use of different energy sources, also in the DHC field.

Profu is an independent research and consultant company in the areas of energy, environment and waste management. Profu has performed a large number of international projects on commission of e.g. Nordic Council of Ministers, International Energy Agency and the European Union.

Its employees carry out extensive projects with a large number of stakeholders as well as small projects with a short duration, they have a solid knowledge of project leadership and project development.

RISE was created in 2017 as a result of a merger of the institutes Innventia, SP, and Swedish ICT. The institute works closely with its customers to create value, delivering high-quality input in all parts of the innovation chain, and thus playing an important part in assisting the competitiveness of industry and its evolution towards sustainable development. RISE Research Institutes of Sweden is fully owned by the Swedish state.

Solites is a Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems within the Steinbeis network. Since the early 1990’s members of the Solites staff have been working in the field of research, development and realisation of solar thermal systems, large scale solar thermal plants, energy efficient building, solar district heating systems and seasonal thermal energy storages.

Stadsverwarming Purmerend is a public District Heating company servicing over 25,000 customers in the city of Purmerend in the Netherlands. The newly built biomass-fired boiler (capacity of 44 MW) provides 80% of the total heat demand.

With this sustainable heat source, Stadsverwarming Purmerend is now the most sustainable District Heating company in the Netherlands.

Energiföretagen Sverige (Swedenergy) represents 200 members with some 400 companies in Sweden that produce, distribute, sell and store electricity, district heating and cooling. Pernilla Winnhed is the CEO of the organization. Åsa Pettersson is the CEO of the organization. Fridolf Eskilsson, CEO at Jönköping Energi, is the Chairman

Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), the only technological university in Estonia, is the flagship of Estonian engineering and technology education. TalTech relies on academic competencies and professional management, responds actively to the needs of the rapidly developing society and is involved in tackling the challenges of the digital era.

The Department of Energy Technology (DET) at TalTech is the leading research institution in Estonia that studies various aspects of district heating (DH), and the only institution in Estonia involved with thermal engineering at the university level. DET maintains ongoing partnerships with government authorities and agencies, municipalities, energy policymakers, heat suppliers, and consumers.

Thanks to the valuable contribution of DET researchers, many large-scale and small-scale DH systems in Estonia are undergoing constant renovation and modernization. Department research activities are connected with the analysis of Existing large-scale DH system transition towards 4th generation DH, district cooling, thermal energy storage integration, large heat pumps, energy planning.

Fundacion TECNALIA Research & Innovation (TECNALIA) is the leading private and independent research and technology entity in Spain and the fifth largest in Europe. TECNALIA operates in the following fields: Innovation Systems, Sustainable Development (Energy, Construction and Environment), Industry and Transport (Casting and iron & steel, Transport and Industrial Systems), ICT (Software, Telecom, Infotech and Information Society) and Health and Life Quality (Health and Life Quality).

TEGnology – Rethink power supply for future Internet of Things. TEGnology addresses the challenges in power supply for IoT devices in places difficult to reach. By harvesting heat from environment and converting it into electricity, more power is provided for the entire life cycle than batteries and more functionalities can be enabled. Combining state-of-the-art energy materials and advanced power management, TEGnology boosts the digital transition in industry and opens opportunity for wearable and medical devices.

The University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (UNIZAG FSB) is a leading higher educational and research institution in the region covering a wide range of research and teaching activities. UNIZAG FSB consists of 13 Departments and it has more than 400 employees. It offers education and research concerning energy, thermal process and power engineering and related environmental protection.

Vattenfall is a European energy company with approximately 20,000 employees. For more than 100 years we have electrified industries, supplied energy to people's homes and modernised our way of living through innovation and cooperation. We now want to make fossil-free living possible within one generation.

Veolia group aims to be the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 179,000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides game-changing solutions that are both useful and practical for water, waste and energy management. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and replenish them. 

In 2020, the Veolia group supplied 95 million people with drinking water and 62 million people with wastewater service, produced nearly 43 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 47 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €26.010 billion in 2020. 

VTT is an RTO whose activities are focused on three areas: knowledge intensive products and services, Smart industry and energy systems and Solutions for natural resources and environment.

VTT is impact-driven and takes advantage of its wide multi-technological knowledge base to strengthen Finnish and European industrial competitiveness. VTT can combine different technologies, produce information, upgrade technological knowledge, and create business intelligence and added value for its stakeholders.

Wien Energie GmbH is part of Wiener Stadtwerke (public utilities group of the City of Vienna). Wien Energie is Austria’s largest energy supplier and sells a total of around 23 TWh of electrical energy, natural gas and district heating every year to more than 2 Million customers.

The energy production portfolio consists of highly efficient chps, waste incinerations, wind parks, solar pv, hydropower and much more.