On 20 October 2026, USES4HEAT was presented at the “Urban Decarbonisation Forum: District Heating and Cooling Solutions”, organised by TECNALIA in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain). The forum brought together public administrations, companies, investors, energy operators and key players of the innovation ecosystem to discuss the role of heating and cooling networks in the energy transition of cities.
The programme covered innovative technologies, real cases and business models, with special attention to fifth-generation (5G) networks. These operate at very low temperatures, which makes it possible to integrate renewable energy, use waste heat and improve energy efficiency.
Decarbonising heat is one of Europe’s major energy challenges. Around 78% of the energy consumed in households goes to space heating and hot water, still largely from fossil fuels, which makes district heating and cooling networks a key infrastructure for more sustainable cities.
Julen Ortiz Villar, from Euroheat & Power, presented USES4HEAT and its two demonstration sites for large-scale seasonal underground thermal energy storage at TRL 8.
Speakers came from organisations such as EVE, IDAE, Telur, Engie, Baskonia, Euroheat & Power, BilboEner, Nasuvinsa and Zurberoa, and from the city councils of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Donostia/San Sebastián and Pamplona, among others.