- As a great success story of the project, CoolHeating initiated the construction of the 1st phase of the DH grid in Sabac, Serbia, which started in summer 2018. A letter of commitment for the 2nd phase of the grid construction in Sabac was signed at the final CoolHeating conference. Furthermore, the realisation potential of the concepts in the other communities is high. The partners expect that, based on communications with the responsible politicians and potential investors, small modular district heating/cooling grids will be realized in Karposh (Macedonia) and Visoko (Bosnia and Herzegovina) within the next three years and the ones in Ljutomer (Slovenia) and Ozalj (Croatia) within the next five years.
- Seven technical concepts were developed within the CoolHeating project for an annual use of total 202 GWh/a.
- 18 Best Practice (BP) examples from have been collected and were described regarding technical, economical and organisational parameters.
- 3 study tours on small renewable DHC projects in Austria, Denmark and Germany have been successfully organised. 76 participants attended the study tours, including mayors of the target municipalities, as well as representatives of the city assemblies and from the authorities.
- The non-technical framework conditions for the set-up of small renewable DHC grids in Austria, Denmark and Germany as well as in the target municipalities were investigated and described. The project provided successfully input on district heating to national policies.
- Guidelines for initiators of small DHC grids were elaborated. The guidelines have been translated to help local decision makers and ease the process of communication.
- A dialogue was established with national regulators, heating and cooling utilities, authorities and politicians of the target communities in five target countries. Several meetings were organised with these stakeholders in order to discuss about the implementation of small DHC grids.
- Information campaigns for the public (citizens) of the target communities were implemented to inform citizens about the project. Furthermore, surveys about the public perception on DHC grids and on heat consumption patterns were made and more than 2,300 responses received.
- To maximise the replication potential of the project, meetings were organised with representatives of so called follower communities in each target country in order to spread the project idea beyond the project.
- A handbook on small modular renewable DHC grids was elaborated and is available for free. The handbook includes technical and economic issues to start a DHC project. It is available in Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovenian, Serbian, English and German.
- CoolHeating cooperated with the industry in the DHC sector. 116 company profiles where created from interested companies in the target countries and published on the project website.
- Capacity building training courses for involved actors were organised with in total 380 participants.
- A guideline on improved business models and financing schemes of small renewable DHC grids was elaborated, as well as an economic calculation tool for the target communities in order to support first economic calculations.
- Capacity building training courses on financing and business models were conducted in the target communities. In total, 242 investors, representatives from the financing sectors, project developers, and other stakeholders were trained.
- The project was disseminated by various means to the different stakeholder groups and to the large public. In total, more than 16,000 persons were informed about the project.
