This report is now published and can be accessed on the IRENA website. It was developed in collaboration with Aalborg University and with the support of an Advisory Group of District Heating and Cooling Experts, drawn from the constituency of the GGA and other institutions. It provides guidelines to policy makers at the national and local level, urban planners, district heating and cooling utilities, etc. on the options and available tools for facilitating the integration of low temperature renewable energy resources, including geothermal energy, into new and existing district heating and cooling networks and buildings.
The key topics addressed in the report include strategic planning for heating and cooling; technical challenges and solutions on the integration of renewables into existing or new buildings and networks; and enabling regulatory conditions, business models, and financing.