Actions are needed to accelerate the cost effective and energy efficient retrofitting existing, inefficient district heating networks.

Activities supported under this topic should replicate or develop successful technical, managerial, organisational and financial approaches and should lead to the initiation of concrete schemes that guarantee substantial primary energy savings and efficiency gains, including the use of renewable and residual sources of heat as appropriate. Proposals should engage and involve as necessary, those in charge of city networks, district heating companies, managers of buildings blocks, housing associations and other building owners/managers and end consumers. Proposals should also lead to the development of concrete regional or national action plans for the retrofitting of inefficient district heating networks.

As necessary, actions should consider interventions that are needed on the building side, e.g. retrofitting and / or modifications of internal heat distribution systems and system and end user controls. They should also take into account the evolution of thermal demand in the future due to improving building energy performance standards and increased rate of building renovations.