Sustainable Heating & Cooling in Practice: Competitive and Future-Ready District Energy System

6-8 October 2026, Lund & Helsingborg

The Swedish Energy Agency and the Sustainable Heating and Cooling by Sweden platform, in collaboration with SweHeat & Cooling and Business Sweden, are organising a Study Tour to Lund and Helsingborg on 6–8 October 2026 to explore Sweden’s strategies and best practices within sustainable heating and cooling.

Swedish district heating companies operate in a highly competitive energy market with limited policy support, regulation, or subsidies. Following the phase-out of fossil fuels after the 1970s oil crises (“Transition 1.0”), the district heating market now competes mainly with heat pumps rather than oil and gas. This has driven continuous innovation in efficiency, customer integration, and system optimisation.

The Study Tour explores how Swedish utilities are addressing “Transition 2.0” — the move toward circular, integrated, and low-temperature energy systems. Key topics include surplus heat recovery, low-temperature district heating (4GDH & 5GDHC), electrification, digitalisation, thermal storage, predictive maintenance, and customer flexibility. Participants will also learn about strategies for extending infrastructure lifetime, upgrading CHP plants, and developing new business models and revenue streams.

Special attention will be given to the growing integration between district heating and heat pumps, as well as the transition toward circular and resilient energy systems.

Located in southern Sweden and connected through a regional district heating network, Lund and Helsingborg provide a unique opportunity to experience advanced district energy solutions in practice.

What to expect

• Site Visits and Case Studies
  Visits to leading Swedish utilities and energy facilities showcasing heat recovery, district cooling, CHP conversion, thermal storage, predictive maintenance, and integrated heating and cooling solutions.
• Workshops and Knowledge Exchange
  Discussions with utilities, technology providers, and industry experts on competitiveness, electrification, customer integration, and future district energy systems.
• Insights from a Competitive Market
  Perspectives on Swedish investment philosophies, pricing models, asset management, and business strategies developed through decades of competition with heat pumps and minimal subsidy support.
• More information on the preliminary agenda can be found here.
  
  

Practicalities

• Participation fee: EUR 590 (cost-based), including:
  • Local transport/logistics in Lund and Helsingborg
  • Hotel accommodation for 2 nights
  • Lunch, Dinner & Coffee Breaks
  • Conference participation
    
    
• Registration deadline for joining the study tour is 31 July 2026.
  
  
• Please note that spots are limited and final confirmation of participation is subject to approval from the organisers. For late registrations, the organising team will verify the possibility to add additional participants to the Study Tour.