InDeal · Project

Smart District Heating Platform That Cuts Energy Waste and Balances Building Demand Automatically

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Imagine a neighbourhood where every building shares a central heating and cooling system — like a big boiler room for the whole district. The problem is some buildings get too much heat while others don't get enough, and a lot of energy leaks out through the pipes along the way. InDeal built a smart control system that uses AI-powered meters and weather forecasts to figure out exactly how much heating or cooling each building actually needs, then distributes it fairly and efficiently. They also developed better-insulated pipes to stop heat from escaping, and tested the whole thing in real district heating networks in France and Slovenia.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries in consortium

SME partners involved

real case study pilot sites tested

24/7

continuous monitoring capability

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

District heating and cooling networks waste energy because they can't dynamically match supply to actual building demand — some buildings are overheated while others are underserved. Heat losses through poorly insulated pipes make the problem worse. Operators lack the real-time intelligence to predict demand shifts caused by weather changes or building occupancy patterns, leading to inefficiency and higher costs.

The solution

What was built

The project built an integrated smart district heating and cooling platform comprising: AI-powered meters for real-time energy data, an Energy Demand Prediction tool that forecasts heating/cooling needs per building, a Storage Monitoring Tool for energy storage stations, a 24/7 central control platform, and improved pipe insulation materials. The full system went from preliminary design through final prototype and was tested in 2 real district heating networks in France and Slovenia.

Audience

Who needs this

District heating and cooling utility operators looking to reduce distribution lossesMunicipal energy planners modernising aging heating infrastructureProperty developers designing new district-scale energy systemsPipe and insulation manufacturers seeking validated next-generation designsEnergy service companies (ESCOs) offering performance contracts for district networks

Business applications

Who can put this to work

District heating and cooling operators

enterprise

Target: Municipal or private district energy utilities managing heating/cooling networks

If you are a district heating operator dealing with uneven heat distribution and high pipe losses across your network — this project developed an AI-driven control platform with smart meters and predictive tools that automatically balances energy demand across buildings. It was tested in 2 real district heating systems in France and Slovenia with a consortium of 12 partners across 8 countries.

Building energy management

mid-size

Target: Property management companies overseeing large mixed-use building portfolios

If you are a property manager struggling to optimize heating and cooling across multiple buildings connected to a district network — this project built an Energy Demand Prediction tool that evaluates each building's efficiency, consumption patterns, and type to forecast short-term and long-term heating needs. The system enables 24/7 automated monitoring so buildings get exactly what they need.

Pipe insulation and thermal infrastructure

SME

Target: Manufacturers of district heating pipes and insulation materials

If you are a pipe or insulation manufacturer looking for next-generation thermal solutions — this project developed innovative pipe designs and insulation coatings that minimize heat losses in district networks. The designs went through 2 design loops from preliminary to final prototype, validated across real operational conditions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement the InDeal system in our district heating network?

The project's EU contribution data is not available in the dataset, so specific cost figures cannot be quoted. The system was developed as a Research and Innovation Action with 12 partners, suggesting significant R&D investment. Contact the coordinator for licensing or deployment pricing.

Can this scale to large urban district heating networks?

The system was tested in 2 real case studies — a district heating system in Vransko municipality (Slovenia) and a district heating and cooling system in France. These real operational tests suggest the platform can handle actual network conditions, though scaling to very large urban networks would likely require further validation.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

As a publicly funded EU project (RIA), results are owned by the consortium of 12 partners across 8 countries. The coordinator is City St Georges University of London. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated with the relevant consortium partners who developed specific components.

How does this integrate with our existing SCADA or building management systems?

The InDeal platform includes a central control platform for 24/7 monitoring, AI-powered meters for real-time data gathering, and an energy storage monitoring tool (SMT). Based on available project data, the system was designed as an integrated platform, but specific protocol compatibility details would need to be confirmed with the development team.

What specific components were delivered and tested?

The project produced 12 deliverables total, including 4 demo deliverables: a preliminary design, a final prototype design, and 2 real case study tests in France and Slovenia under operational conditions. Key components include AI meters, an Energy Demand Prediction tool, a Storage Monitoring Tool, and improved insulation materials.

Does this help with regulatory compliance on energy efficiency?

The project directly addresses EU energy efficiency policy by targeting wider use of intelligent district heating and cooling with renewable integration. Based on available project data, the system's 24/7 monitoring and automated demand balancing can support compliance reporting and efficiency documentation requirements.

Consortium

Who built it

The InDeal consortium of 12 partners across 8 countries (Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Poland, Slovenia, UK) is well-balanced for commercialisation: 6 are industry players and 6 are SMEs, giving a 50% industry ratio. This means the technology was co-developed with companies that understand market needs, not just academics. The coordinator is City St Georges University of London, with support from 3 research organisations and 1 other university. The geographic spread across Southern, Northern, and Eastern Europe — with pilot sites in France and Slovenia — demonstrates the system works across different climate zones and regulatory environments. For a business looking to adopt this, the strong SME presence suggests commercial partners already exist within the consortium.

CITY ST GEORGES UNIVERSITY OF LONDONCoordinator · UK
IZNAB SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIAparticipant · PL
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISparticipant · EL
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESparticipant · FR
CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ANDINNOVATION (CETRI) LTDparticipant · CY
FUNDACION I+D AUTOMOCION Y MECATRONICAparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

The coordinator is City St Georges University of London (UK). Use Google AI Search to find the project coordinator's contact details.

Order a report on this consortium See CITY ST GEORGES UNIVERSITY OF LONDON profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the InDeal team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific use case — whether that's the control platform, the AI meters, or the insulation materials.

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