The submission topics cover a broad range of areas related to the planning, operation and transformation of DHC systems, including heat and cold sources, system flexibility, digitalisation, business models, regulation, sustainability and social impacts.

• Planning and design of DHC networks

  Relevant topics include urban and regional energy systems, network development and expansion strategies, municipal heat planning, spatial energy planning, transformation pathways, integrated infrastructure planning and decision-support approaches for future district heating and cooling systems.

• Operation, refurbishment and performance improvement of existing networks

  Relevant topics include innovative network technologies, pipe systems, components and substations, return-temperature reduction, hydraulic and thermal optimisation, monitoring and maintenance, network refurbishment, lifetime extension, loss reduction and performance improvement of existing systems.

• Renewable and excess heat and cold sources
  Relevant topics include the integration and utilisation of geothermal energy, solar thermal energy, biomass, ambient heat, river and lake heat, sewage heat, data-centre excess heat, industrial excess heat, excess cold and other locally available thermal energy sources. Contributions may also address source assessment, technical integration, availability, temperature levels, reliability, economic feasibility and practical implementation.
• Industrial and urban symbiosis in DHC
  Relevant topics include cooperation between industries, cities, utilities and other infrastructure operators, industrial–urban heat exchange, heat highways, energy parks, cross-sector infrastructure, regional heat and cold networks and organisational models for sharing thermal energy.

  This topic focuses on the systemic integration of industrial and urban energy systems rather than on individual heat-source technologies.

• Sector coupling, thermal storage and flexibility
  Relevant topics include the integration of district heating and cooling with electricity, gas, hydrogen and industrial energy systems, thermal energy storage, power-to-heat, large-scale heat pumps, hybrid energy systems, demand-side flexibility, flexible network operation and the provision of energy-system and grid services.
• Low-temperature DHC, 4GDHC, 5GDHC and thermal source networks
  Relevant topics include the development and implementation of low- and ultra-low-temperature networks, fourth- and fifth-generation district heating and cooling systems, ambient-loop systems, bidirectional networks, prosumer integration and thermal source networks.
• Modelling, simulation and optimisation for DHC planning and operation
  Relevant topics include system modelling, network simulation, scenario analysis and techno-economic optimisation to support the planning, design, operation and transformation of district heating and cooling systems.

  Contributions should demonstrate how modelling supports concrete decisions or improves the understanding of DHC systems. The focus is not limited to methodological model development.

• Digitalisation, data-driven operation and AI for DHC
  Relevant topics include digital infrastructure, sensors, smart metering, data platforms, interoperability, digital twins, AI-supported forecasting and control, fault detection, predictive maintenance, automated optimisation, data-driven customer services and cybersecurity.

  Contributions should demonstrate how digital technologies can improve the planning, operation, maintenance or integration of DHC systems and create practical value for operators, customers and connected energy infrastructures. The focus should not primarily be on methodological model development.

• Business models, markets, financing and end-user integration
  Relevant topics include business and investment models, financing mechanisms, tariffs, pricing, market design, risk allocation, ownership structures and commercialisation pathways for district heating and cooling.

  The topic also covers customer and end-user integration, stakeholder engagement, demand-side participation, consumer-oriented services and approaches to ensuring affordable and attractive DHC solutions.

• Policy, regulation, governance and the role of public authorities
  Relevant topics include policy and regulatory frameworks, heat-planning requirements, governance models, permitting, public procurement, concession models and the roles of municipalities, regional authorities, regulators and national governments in the transformation of heating and cooling systems.

  Contributions may also address policy implementation, regulatory barriers, institutional coordination and transferable governance approaches.

• Sustainability, environmental assessment and social impacts of DHC
  Relevant topics include life-cycle assessment, carbon accounting, environmental performance, resource efficiency, circularity, material use, water consumption and broader sustainability assessment of district heating and cooling systems.

  The topic also covers distributional effects, affordability, energy justice, public acceptance, social impacts and approaches for integrating environmental and social criteria into planning and investment decisions.