District heating: the key to a climate-neutral Europe

But hitting those targets isn’t just about greening electricity. Heat supply also needs to become cleaner, smarter, and more efficient. District heating and cooling networks are essential to making that happen. Without expanding and modernising these systems, Europe simply won’t meet its climate goals.

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Why district heating and cooling matters

District Heating & Cooling (DHC) is one of the foundations of Europe’s energy transition. It’s what makes large-scale decarbonisation practical and affordable.

From fossil to sustainable: Instead of thousands of individual gas boilers, district heating makes it possible to tap into collective, renewable heat sources. From geothermal and solar thermal energy to residual industrial heat and biomass.

Smarter, more efficient: Centralised generation and distribution are far more efficient than scattered individual systems. That means less energy use and lower CO₂ emissions.

Mixing multiple sources: District heating networks can combine diverse sources, including heat from data centres or industry that would otherwise be wasted.

Greener cities: In dense urban areas, district heating helps cut air pollution and reduces dependency on imported fossil fuels.

The sector itself has set the goal of being fully climate-neutral by 2050, a commitment endorsed by Euroheat & Power.

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Trust and transparency make or break success

For municipalities and policymakers, there’s a crucial point to remember: district heating networks are natural monopolies. Residents can’t simply switch providers. That makes transparency, trust, and clear communication non-negotiable.

If people don’t understand their consumption or their bills, mistrust grows and support for the network erodes. Public support is the key to success. A district heating system only works if residents embrace it.

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The role of digitalisation

Physical infrastructure alone isn’t enough. Digital innovation is essential too. Smart data technology helps operators and municipalities to:

• run networks more efficiently,

• prevent waste,

• match supply to demand,

• and give residents clear insight into their consumption and costs.

Digitalisation is more than a technical tool, it’s a social lever for building trust and support.

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How Zero Friction helps

At Zero Friction, we believe digitalisation is the accelerator that makes district heating greener and strengthens resident trust. Our cloud-based SaaS platform helps heat suppliers and municipalities to:

• Real-time insights and transparency: A single, intuitive dashboard shows exactly how a network is performing, enabling instant adjustments and preventing waste.

• Clear consumption & cost overviews: Residents get simple, transparent insights into their energy use and costs, with comparisons to previous periods or similar homes. This lowers pressure on customer service teams and builds trust in the supplier.

• Optimising sustainable sources: Our platform supports the smart mix of traditional and renewable heat sources (including residual heat) to drive down CO₂ emissions long term.

• Scalable by design: From small local networks to large urban projects, our platform scales with the complexity of the system.

In short: we remove the friction between technology, policy, and people, enabling district heating to become a widely supported solution for the energy transition.

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Building a climate-neutral Europe together

Europe’s climate goals are ambitious but achievable. District heating is one of the most important building blocks. Municipalities and heat suppliers now have a unique opportunity to work hand-in-hand with residents to deliver sustainable, affordable, and reliable heat.

At Zero Friction, we’re proud to support that mission by giving heat companies and municipalities a frictionless digital experience. That way, the sector can focus on what truly matters: delivering sustainable heat and making Europe climate-neutral by 2050.

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