Best Paper Award for DeCarbCH Researchers at the 19th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling, 7-10 September 2025, Genk, Belgium
The paper "Optimizing the Next Generation of District Heating and Cooling Systems While Ensuring Reliable Domestic Hot Water Supply," co- authored by Mohammadreza Kolahi and Prof. Martin K. Patel of the Energy Efficiency Group (University of Geneva), was selected as one of the Top 5 Best Papers at the 19th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling (#IEADHC2025), held in Genk, Belgium.
The symposium, organised by VITO and EnergyVille under the umbrella of IEA DHC, aimed to explore development opportunities and pressing challenges in the district heating and cooling (DHC) sector, to share innovative research results, and to promote international technical exchange for achieving green, efficient, and smart global DHC systems.
The awarded research contributes to the transition toward low- and ultra-low-temperature district heating networks, which are key to large-scale decarbonisation and renewable integration. A central challenge in such systems is ensuring reliable and hygienically safe domestic hot water (DHW) supply. Through scenario modelling and optimization, the study highlights the benefits of decentralized heat pumps, booster systems, and thermal energy storage in reducing electricity consumption and improving system flexibility.
This work was conducted within the SWEET DeCarbCH programme supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, highlighting the strong scientific contribution of DeCarbCH partners to the future of sustainable heating and cooling in Switzerland and beyond.
Authors: Mohammad-Reza Kolahi and Martin K. Patel
