Imagine a business park where every company runs its own heating and cooling separately — like neighbors each buying their own lawnmower instead of sharing one. R-ACES built a practical toolkit so companies on the same industrial site can pool their energy, swap waste heat, and collectively slash emissions by at least 10%. They tested it in 3 real industrial clusters, rolled it out to 7 more, and spread the word to 90 across Europe. Think of it as the "playbook" for turning any industrial park into an eco-friendly energy-sharing community.
European industry accounts for 25% of total energy demand and 50% of all heating and cooling, yet only 16% comes from renewables. Companies sitting next to each other on industrial parks waste huge amounts of energy individually — heat that one factory discards could warm another. The main barriers are not technical but practical: no clear way to assess potential, no legal templates for shared energy contracts, and no management platform to run it.
R-ACES delivered three core tools: an assessment tool to evaluate energy collaboration potential at industrial sites, legal decision support for drafting joint energy contracts, and a smart energy management platform for clusters. Supporting these are an educational online environment with training materials, MOOCs, and webinars, plus peer-to-peer learning programs and serious games. In total, 21 deliverables were produced.
If you are an industrial park operator dealing with rising energy costs and pressure to meet EU climate targets — R-ACES developed an assessment tool and smart energy management platform that lets you identify which companies on your site can exchange heat and energy. The project validated these tools across 3 clusters and deployed them in 7 more, covering the full path from analysis to implementation.
If you are an ESCO looking for new revenue streams beyond single-building efficiency — R-ACES created legal decision support tools for setting up joint energy contracts between multiple companies on the same site. With 50% of industrial energy going to heating and cooling yet only 16% from renewables, there is massive untapped potential in cross-company energy collaboration that your services could unlock.
If you are a district heating or cooling provider struggling to connect industrial customers to your network — R-ACES designed a methodology linking industrial parks to 4th and 5th generation district heating/cooling networks, turning isolated sites into connected ecoregions. The approach was disseminated to 90 high-potential clusters identified in the European Thermal Roadmap, giving you a ready pipeline of potential clients.
The R-ACES project was a Coordination and Support Action, meaning its tools and methodology were designed to be made available to third parties in a sustainable way after the project ended. Based on available project data, specific licensing or usage costs are not disclosed. Contact the consortium for current access terms.
Yes. The tools were validated in 3 real industrial clusters, actively deployed in 7 additional clusters, and disseminated to 90 high-potential clusters identified in the European Thermal Roadmap. The consortium includes the entire value chain — energy suppliers, ESCOs, and cluster managers — confirming real-world applicability.
The consortium of 12 partners across 6 countries jointly developed the tools. Based on available project data, the tools and support methodology were explicitly designed to be made available to third parties after the project ended. Specific IP terms should be discussed directly with the coordinator.
The project targets at least a 10% reduction in emissions for industrial clusters that implement the ecoregion approach. European industry represents 25% of all energy demand on the continent, with 50% going to heating and cooling, so the absolute savings potential is significant depending on your site's energy profile.
R-ACES specifically developed legal decision support for joint energy contracts — one of the biggest barriers to cross-company energy collaboration. The toolkit addresses regulatory hurdles around shared energy infrastructure and aligns with EU climate targets for industrial decarbonization.
The project ran for approximately 3 years and produced a structured process from assessment through deployment. Based on available project data, the approach includes phased steps: assessment, legal setup, and energy management platform deployment. Timeline depends on the complexity and number of companies involved at your site.
R-ACES built an educational online environment with links to training materials from SPIRE H2020 and Interreg projects, online courses, MOOCs, webinars, and classroom/in-company courses. The support methodology also includes peer-to-peer learning and serious games for cluster teams.
The R-ACES consortium of 12 partners across 6 countries (Belgium, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands) is structured to cover the full energy collaboration value chain. With 3 industry partners and 5 SMEs in the mix, the consortium blends large-scale infrastructure expertise with agile service providers. The 25% industry ratio is typical for a coordination action — the remaining 9 "other" organizations include cluster managers, ESCOs, and support bodies that are the actual implementers of cross-company energy projects. The Dutch coordinator S-ISPT is a process technology institute, giving the project strong ties to industrial process optimization. For a business looking to adopt these tools, the multi-country consortium means the methodology has been tested across different regulatory environments and industrial cultures.
The coordinator is STICHTING S-ISPT based in the Netherlands. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the project team.
Want to implement shared energy solutions at your industrial park? SciTransfer can connect you with the R-ACES team and help you assess whether this toolkit fits your site. Contact us for a free initial brief.
