Since 2009, the European Union supported three international SDH projects regarding market development of solar district heating plants. This website is presenting these projects and their results.

Also many other European projects aim at contributing to the same overall objectives and present synergies with the SDHp2m project in the methods and solutions proposed. Projects related to SDH regarding market and policy as well as research and demonstration projects are presented in the sections Market & Policy’ and ‘Research & Demonstration’ projects.

In several countries the SDH projects initiated also national projects which you find in the national Areas.

SDHp2m – Solar District Heating from policy to market (2016 – 2018)

SDHp2m stands for Solar District Heating (SDH) and actions from Policy to Market. The project addresses market uptake challenges for a wider use of district heating and cooling systems (DHC) with high shares of RES, specifically the action focuses on the use of large-scale solar thermal plants combined with other RES in DHC systems.

The key approach of the project is to develop, improve and implement in 9 participating EU regions advanced policies and support measures for SDH. In 3 focus regions Thuringia (DE), Styria (AT) and Rhone-Alpes (FR) the regulating regional authorities are participating as project partners to ensure a strong implementation capacity within the project. In 6 follower regions from BG, DE, IT, PL, SE the regulating authorities are engaged through letters of commitment. The project activities aim at a direct mobilization of investments in SDH and hence a significant market rollout.

The project work program in the participating regions follows a process including 1) strategy and action planning based on a survey, best practices and stakeholder consultation 2) an implementation phase starting at an early project stage and 3) efficient dissemination of the project results at national and international level.

Addressed market uptake challenges are: Improved RES DHC policy, better access to plant financing and business models, sustained public acceptance and bridging the gap between policy and market through market support and capacity building. Denmark and Sweden reached already today a high share of RES in DHC and shall be used as a role model for this project.

View the  results of the SDHp2m project in our knowledge database by filtering for the SDHp2m project.

You find following SDHp2m project results in our knowledge database:

Project summary report
(English language)

Project leaflets and Project broschures
(national and English language)

Surveys and strategies for developing SDH in nine EU regions
(national versions and a summary in English language)

Fact sheets presenting best practice policies in the SDHp2m regions
(national and English language)

Fact sheets presenting best practice market support instruments in the SDHp2m regions
(national and English language)

Regional summary reports about the policy and market support measures in the individual SDHp2m regions
(national language)

Summary report about the policy and market support measures of nine SDHp2m regions
(English language)

Manuals with standardized plug and play organizational processes and technical solutions
(national and English language)

  • Steinbeis Innovation gGmbH represented by Steinbeis Research Institute Solites (SIG Solites) – Germany
  • Thüringer Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Naturschutz (TMUEN) – Germany
  • AGFW-Projektgesellschaft für Rationalisierung, Information und Standardisierung mbH (AGFW) – Germany
  • HIR Hamburg Institut Research gGmbH (HIR) – Germany
  • Land Steiermark – Energie, Wohnbau, Technik (Styria) – Austria
  • AEE – Institut für nachhaltige Technologien (AEE INTEC) – Austria
  • S.O.L.I.D. Company for Installation of Solar and Design – Austria
  • Association Rhonalpenergie-Environment (RAEE) with its affiliated partner the Regional Council of Rhône-Alpes (RCRA) – France
  • Commissariat à l’energie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA INES) – France
  • Ambiente Italia s.r.l. (AMBIT) – Italy
  • Institute Zero Energy Buildings (IZEB) – Bulgaria
  • EC BREC Instytut Energetyki Odnawialnej (IEO) – Poland
  • Planenergi Fond (Planenergi) – Denmark
  • CIT Energy Management AB (EnerMa) – Sweden
  • Euroheat & Power AISBL (EHP) – Belgium

SDHplus – New business opportunities for solar district and cooling (2012 – 2015)

Building on the positive results of the SDHtake-off project, SDHplus, also supported by the IEE Intelligent Energy Europe programme, aimed at fostering the changeover of district heating to solar thermal energy by developing new business models and exploiting new market opportunities.

  • Solites, Steinbeis Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems – Germany (project coordinator)
  • AGFW, German Heat and Power Association
  • CIT Energy Management – Sweden
  • AIRU, Italian District Heating Association
  • Ambiente Italia – Italy
  • CityPlan – Czech Republic
  • PlanEnergi – Denmark
  • S.O.L.I.D. Company for Installation of Solar and Design – Austria
  • Tecnalia – Spain
  • Tecsol  – France
  • Energy Institute Hrvoje Pozar – Croatia
  • University of Lubljana, Slovenia
  • Lithuanian Energy Institute
  • AMORCE – France
  • EC BREC IEO – Poland
  • Euroheat & Power – Belgium
  • CEA – National Solar Energy Institute – France
  • Danish District Heating Association
  1. New SDH business models and SDH marketing strategies
  2. Show cases for integrating SDH into various specific district heating situations, responding to the market barriers of DH stakeholders (e.g. combination with CHP, high costs). Within the project 39 case studies are developed in cooperation with DH market actors.
  3. Development of SDH markets in the newcomer countries ES, FR, HR, LT, PL, SI. Within the project this is initialised by a one-to-one coaching of partners in these learning countries.
  4. High level dissemination activities, in particular the international SDH workshops and plant visit tours aiming at coaching of district heating market actors and a new SDH conference are institutionalised.

SDHtake-off – Solar district heating in Europe (2009 – 2012)

This first project, supported by the European Commission within the IEE Intelligent Energy Europe programme, aimed improving the market boundary conditions and broad dissemination activities.

  • Solites, Steinbeis Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems – Germany (project coordinator)
  • AGFW, German Heat and Power Association
  • Energie Graz – Austria
  • S.O.L.I.D. Company for Installation of Solar and Design – Austria
  • Marstal District Heating – Denmark
  • PlanEnergi – Denmark
  • AIRU, Italian District Heating Association
  • Ambiente Italia – Italy
  • Association for District Heating of the Czech Republic
  • CityPlan – Czech Republic
  • Euroheat & Power – Belgium
  • CIT Energy Management – Sweden
  • Reliable knowledge about the market conditions and barriers for SDH, translated into recommendations for regulations, support schemes, policy. These recommendations are communicated to decision makers.
  • Standard state-of-the-art industry standards and guidelines are available for commercial SDH activities. They are recognized by the European market actors of the DH and solar thermal sector.
  • Capacity on the supply side is built-up by training and support structures.
  • Targeted dissemination activities reaching market actors in 18 EU countries.