Cool Ideas for Hot Topics: A Summer School on District Heating and Cooling
How do we keep our cities warm in winter and cool in summer without heating up the planet? That was the challenge explored during the 13th edition of the DHC+ Summer School in Copenhagen this August.
From 17–23 August, students and young professionals from across Europe gathered to explore the future of sustainable district heating and cooling networks. Organized by Euroheat & Power (EHP) and hosted by Aalborg University (AAU) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), this year's program focused on “The role of the demand side in the transition towards low-temperature district heating systems.”
Among the participants was our doctoral student, Delaram Bayat . The week-long program featured lectures, site visits to state-of-the-art facilities in Copenhagen (Figure 1), and interactive sessions with international experts. Together, participants explored both technical and practical aspects of low-temperature systems, emphasizing the crucial role of demand-side flexibility in building efficient, reliable, and decarbonized networks.
One highlight was the REWARDHeat simulation game (Figure 2), developed by HAWK University. In this interactive exercise, participants took on the roles of different stakeholders to test strategies and weigh the technical, economic, and socio-political factors driving the shift towards sustainable networks.
“The Summer School gave me valuable insights and practical tools to strengthen my ongoing research. These experiences will help me refine my methodologies and better connect my work with broader European initiatives, ultimately contributing to the decarbonization of district heating and cooling networks,” says Delaram.
Delaram is currently involved in the USES4HEAT project. If you are interested in learning more about her work or exploring possible collaborations, feel free to get in touch with her.
