Learning Materials

Estimated workload: Approximately 6.7 learning hours
Format: Open-access e-learning material for independent and guided learning, including downloadable printable resources
Target groups: Higher education students, researchers, educators, trainers and professionals in district heating, district energy, building services, sustainable urban energy systems, renewable heat integration and energy communities
Availability: May 2026
Module focus: Introduction to district heating systems, historical development of district heating generations, district heating subsystems and substations, renewable and alternative heat sources, waste-to-energy, waste heat recovery, fourth- and fifth-generation networks, and energy community concepts
Developing team: Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Module 2
Estimated workload: 8 learning hours including self-study and exercises
Format: Open-access e-learning material for independent and guided learning, including downloadable printable resources
Target groups: Higher education students, researchers and professionals in the field of district heating and cooling
Module focus: Building heat and cooling demand calculation, domestic hot water demand, building-side hydronic systems, substations, control strategies and primary network basics
Availability: May 2026
Developing team: PSL University (Mines Paris – PSL)
Authors: Antoine Fabre and Pascal Stabat

Module 3
Estimated workload: Approximately 8.4 learning hours
Format: Open-access e-learning material for independent and guided learning, including downloadable printable resources
Target groups: Higher education students, researchers, educators, trainers and professionals in district heating, district energy, renewable heat production, waste heat recovery, heat pumps, CHP, building services and urban energy systems
Availability: May 2026
Module focus: Heat production in district heating systems, renewable and low-carbon heat sources, biomass, biogas, solar district heating, geothermal district heating, waste heat utilisation, heat pumps, CHP, and economic and environmental assessment
Developing team: Universitat Jaume I de Castellón and Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Authors: Dr. Adrián Mota-Babiloni, Ghad Alarnaout-Alarnaout, Dr. Balázs Bokor

Module 4
Estimated workload: Approximately 7.9 learning hours
Format: Open-access e-learning material for independent and guided learning, including downloadable printable resources
Target groups: Higher education students, researchers, educators, trainers and professionals in district cooling, HVAC, refrigeration, heat pumps, district energy, building services and urban energy systems
Availability: March 2026 (public)
Module focus: District cooling, combined heat and cold production, refrigerants, cooling technologies, economic and environmental assessment, and realised district cooling case studies
Developing team: Universitat Jaume I de Castellón
Authors: Dr. Adrián Mota-Babiloni, Ghad Alarnaout-Alarnaout

Module 5
Estimated workload: 9.5 learning hours including lectures, case studies, self-study and assessment
Format: Open-access e-learning material for independent and guided learning, including downloadable printable resources
Target groups: Higher education students, researchers and professionals in the field of district heating and cooling
Module focus: Advanced DHC network performance, return temperature reduction, secondary-side design, retrofit impact analysis, tariff models and fault detection methods
Availability: May 2026
Developing team: PSL University (Mines Paris – PSL)
Authors: Antoine Fabre and Pascal Stabat

Module: Module 6
Estimated workload: Approximately 7 learning hours
Format: Open-access e-learning material for independent and guided learning, including downloadable printable resources
Target groups: Higher education students, researchers, educators, trainers and professionals in district heating, building services and urban energy systems
Module focus: Refurbishment of legacy district heating systems, low-temperature operation, hydraulic balancing, apartment-level substations, return temperature reduction and demand-side modernisation
Availability: March 2026
Developing team: Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Authors: Balázs Bokor, Zoltán Takács