ICLEI Europe, together with THERMOS project partners, will continue working on speeding up the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector as part of the THERMOS project for an additional 9-month period.

The project, which started in October 2016, developed a free online software to make heating and cooling systems planning easier, quicker, and cheaper for local energy stakeholders. As part of the extension, project partners will further fine-tune the software’s interface and roll-out additional free online training and capacity-building programmes for local energy planners and authorities.

“Local heat networks are critical to decarbonise energy systems cost-effectively and hold a significant potential to increase air quality in urban areas through reducing fossil fuel consumption from individual heating systems” says Alis-Daniela Torres, THERMOS officer at ICLEI Europe’s Sustainable Resources and Climate Resilience team. “We are looking forward to continue introducing the software to ICLEI Members as a viable tool for reaching their Climate and Energy Targets.”

The planning of local heating and cooling networks is takes considerable time, knowledge and effort. Local authorities and energy developers involved in developing the necessary pre-feasibility studies often find themselves screening through a vast amount of possible network options, before identifying a suitable solution.

The THERMOS energy planning software allows energy planners to simulate and compare potential heating or cooling network scenarios easily online. Thereby the tool will identify cost-optimal network solutions in which capital costs for plant, pipes and connection are set against revenues from heat sales and monetised greenhouse gases emissions, according to user specific criteria for what constitutes an optimal solution – for example, in costs, supply sources, Co2 reductions or buildings to be involved.

The 7th version of the tool released in July is to include additional features for optimising energy supply – it will take into account energy output, and cost over time through varying demand profiles and different tariffs. Via the newly integrated THERMOS user forum, energy planners are now also able to benefit from exclusive user support and exchanges with fellow planners. Further work will be done on the user interface and on validation of modelled results.

A dedicated toolbox session at ICLEI’s flagship Mannheim2020 conference on 2 October is a key opportunity to familiarise interested users with the latest software version.

For more information about the THERMOS project, its software and associated training opportunities, click here.