Renewable energy in district heating and cooling: A sector roadmap for Remap

This REmap sector study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows that renewables could feasibly supply more than one fifth of the energy needed for DHC worldwide. But to drive the transition, policy makers need to fully understand the costs, benefits and actual potential for renewable-based DHC.

This report examines renewable DHC potential up to 2030, based on three main technology pathways. The baseline “Reference Case” builds on current national energy plans in nine countries. The “REmap” case includes rapid scale-up within planned DHC capacity. The third pathway, “Structural Shift”, assumes expanded DHC capacity, with new networks fed entirely by renewables.

Supplementary case studies highlight real-world DHC projects using renewables. These include solar heating in Austria and Germany; Geothermal heat in Italy and Germany; Biomass coal-conversion and co-firing in Denmark, Germany, Lithuania and Sweden; standalone biomass in Germany, the UK and the US (Minnesota); solar cooling in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the US (Arizona); natural water cooling in Bahrain, France and Switzerland; and power-to-heat in China, Denmark and Germany.

Read the executive summary or the full report

Read the case studies

Find out more about REmap