The IncentEU project has the ambition to accelerate the deployment of new district heating and cooling (DHC) networks based on low-temperature renewable energy and waste heat sources. By engaging with key public regional entities in Spain, France and Estonia, the project will deliver exemplary investment plans that can kickstart construction of sustainable DHC systems in countries with small or emerging markets.

Coordinated by Aiguasol Consulting and with the participation of IREC, IncentEU will work closely with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Eurometropole of Strasbourg and the City of Tallinn, representing three different European climatic zones. This collaboration will allow the project to establish and implement a shared methodology for heat mapping, pre-feasibility analysis, investment assessment, and operational and business model evaluation.

The role of IREC in this project, led by Joaquim Romaní from the REACT Department, is to coordinate the calculation of the energy demand renewable heat sources profiles according to the shared methodology. This will imply the systematic and standardized information gathering to ensure uniform data inputs in all the case studies. The demand and energy sources profiles will be detailed geo-referenced temporal series that will be used to define the optimal pipping layout of the district heating and cooling networks.

The approach goes beyond identifying renewable and waste heat sources (industrial and urban) and generation technologies. It will also integrate thermal energy storage solutions to ensure flexibility and reliability at both daily and seasonal scales.

The overarching goal of IncentEU is twofold: (i) To create robust investment plans that not only promote individual projects but also provide a replicable framework for scaling up DHC networks in Europe, and (ii) to empower supra-municipal entities capable of fostering multiple projects and driving long-term investment in sustainable energy infrastructure.

The KoM is held in Barcelona from the 22^nd to the 23^rd of September 2025. The project has a total budget of ~1.8M€ and will run for 30 months. The consortium includes Aiguasol Consulting SCCL (coordinator), IREC, Area Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), Eurometropole de Strasbourg, Egis Conseil, City of Tallinn, EnergyMentor, and the Sustainable Energy Finance Association. Together, they will contribute knowledge, tools, and expertise from previous initiatives to accelerate the energy transition at the urban and regional scale.

With IncentEU, Europe takes a step closer to climate-neutral cities, paving the way for resilient, affordable, and renewable-based heating and cooling systems that benefit citizens and local economies alike.

This project has received funding from the Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) under Grant Agreement no. 101215745 (LIFE24-CET-IncentEU). Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.