Concentrated Hybrid Integration for Low-emission Load-flexible Heating and Absorption-based Cooling Technologies (CHILL-HEAT)

CHILL-HEAT proposes a novel hybrid District Heating and Cooling (DHC) architecture that leverages renewable thermal sources (solar thermal, shallow geothermal, and waste heat) and integrates heat-driven absorption chillers to provide centralized cooling. The core idea is to maximize infrastructure utilization year-round, particularly addressing the underuse of DH networks in summer, and to offer an exergy-efficient, low-electrification solution for cooling.

The project aims to compare this innovative concept against conventional decentralized cooling and hybrid heat pump–absorption systems, determining its techno-economic feasibility, control simplicity, and replicability potential in both retrofit and new network contexts.

Key outcomes include validated simulation results, benchmark scenarios, design guidelines, and operational recommendations to support urban planners, utilities, and technology providers in implementing sustainable cooling strategies via existing or optimized DH networks.

We seek partners with expertise in pilot demonstration, component integration (e.g., absorption chillers, smart substations), control systems, and urban energy modeling to join the consortium as contributors or co-leads.