IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i9p3889-d1642724.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stakeholder Perspectives on District Heating and Cooling for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: A Romanian Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Timea Farkas

    (Energy Transition Research Center (EnTReC), Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • Paula Veronica Unguresan

    (Energy Transition Research Center (EnTReC), Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • Andrei Ceclan

    (Energy Transition Research Center (EnTReC), Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • Dan D. Micu

    (Energy Transition Research Center (EnTReC), Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

Abstract

District heating and cooling systems represent a great pillar of European cities aiming to achieve climate neutrality. This study investigates stakeholders’ perspectives on district heating and cooling to analyze the challenges, barriers, and potential accelerators of a sustainable low-carbon energy transition in urban areas. This study was performed via a survey-based approach, targeting multi-level stakeholders, both from the supply and demand side. This study employed a structural methodology involving customized surveys tailored to different stakeholder groups, aiming to understand challenges, advancement, and opportunities in Romania’s district heating systems. The results highlighted the diverse interests of stakeholders, emphasizing the need for financial support to reduce reliance on fossil fuels from the supply side while addressing concerns about infrastructure and current operations from the demand side. This study laid the groundwork for shaping national and regional policies and promoting local partnerships to reduce fossil energy demand and support the transition to renewable energy sources. Using a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectorial approach, and SWOT analysis in Romania, it systematically addresses technical, financial, and regulatory challenges for the greater sustainability of these systems in the urban environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Timea Farkas & Paula Veronica Unguresan & Andrei Ceclan & Dan D. Micu, 2025. "Stakeholder Perspectives on District Heating and Cooling for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: A Romanian Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-27, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3889-:d:1642724
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3889/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3889/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Camille Jeandaux & Jean-Baptiste Videau & Anne Prieur-Vernat, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of District Heating Systems in Europe: Case Study and Recommendations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-32, October.
    2. Buffa, Simone & Cozzini, Marco & D’Antoni, Matteo & Baratieri, Marco & Fedrizzi, Roberto, 2019. "5th generation district heating and cooling systems: A review of existing cases in Europe," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 504-522.
    3. Hearn, Adam X., 2022. "Positive energy district stakeholder perceptions and measures for energy vulnerability mitigation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    4. Angelidis, O. & Ioannou, A. & Friedrich, D. & Thomson, A. & Falcone, G., 2023. "District heating and cooling networks with decentralised energy substations: Opportunities and barriers for holistic energy system decarbonisation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    5. Malcher, Xenia & Tenorio-Rodriguez, Francis Catherine & Finkbeiner, Matthias & Gonzalez-Salazar, Miguel, 2025. "Decarbonization of district heating: A systematic review of carbon footprint and key mitigation strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    6. Ma, Zheng & Knotzer, Armin & Billanes, Joy Dalmacio & Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard, 2020. "A literature review of energy flexibility in district heating with a survey of the stakeholders’ participation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    7. Poputoaia, Diana & Bouzarovski, Stefan, 2010. "Regulating district heating in Romania: Legislative challenges and energy efficiency barriers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3820-3829, July.
    8. Billerbeck, Anna & Breitschopf, Barbara & Winkler, Jenny & Bürger, Veit & Köhler, Benjamin & Bacquet, Alexandre & Popovski, Eftim & Fallahnejad, Mostafa & Kranzl, Lukas & Ragwitz, Mario, 2023. "Policy frameworks for district heating: A comprehensive overview and analysis of regulations and support measures across Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    9. Munćan, Vladimir & Mujan, Igor & Macura, Dušan & Anđelković, Aleksandar S., 2024. "The state of district heating and cooling in Europe - A literature-based assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    10. Jodeiri, A.M. & Goldsworthy, M.J. & Buffa, S. & Cozzini, M., 2022. "Role of sustainable heat sources in transition towards fourth generation district heating – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    11. Manz, Pia & Billerbeck, Anna & Kök, Ali & Fallahnejad, Mostafa & Fleiter, Tobias & Kranzl, Lukas & Braungardt, Sibylle & Eichhammer, Wolfgang, 2024. "Spatial analysis of renewable and excess heat potentials for climate-neutral district heating in Europe," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Malcher, Xenia & Gonzalez-Salazar, Miguel, 2024. "Strategies for decarbonizing European district heating: Evaluation of their effectiveness in Sweden, France, Germany, and Poland," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    2. Munćan, Vladimir & Mujan, Igor & Macura, Dušan & Anđelković, Aleksandar S., 2024. "The state of district heating and cooling in Europe - A literature-based assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    3. Bogdanovics, Raimonds & Zemitis, Jurgis & Zajacs, Aleksandrs & Borodinecs, Anatolijs, 2024. "Small-scale district heating system as heat storage for decentralized solar thermal collectors during non-heating period," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    4. Zhang, Yuhang & Liu, Mingzhe & O'Neill, Zheng & Wen, Jin, 2024. "Temperature control strategies for fifth generation district heating and cooling systems: A review and case study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 376(PA).
    5. Guo, Yurun & Wang, Shugang & Wang, Jihong & Zhang, Tengfei & Ma, Zhenjun & Jiang, Shuang, 2024. "Key district heating technologies for building energy flexibility: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    6. Boldrini, A. & Jiménez Navarro, J.P. & Crijns-Graus, W.H.J. & van den Broek, M.A., 2022. "The role of district heating systems to provide balancing services in the European Union," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    7. Golmohamadi, Hessam & Larsen, Kim Guldstrand & Jensen, Peter Gjøl & Hasrat, Imran Riaz, 2022. "Integration of flexibility potentials of district heating systems into electricity markets: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    8. Aresti, Lazaros & Alvi, Maria Romana & Cecinato, Francesco & Fan, Tao & Halaj, Elzbieta & Li, Zili & Okhay, Olena & Poulsen, Soren Erbs & Quiroga, Sonia & Suarez, Cristina & Tang, Anh Minh & Valancius, 2024. "Energy geo-structures: A review of their integration with other sources and its limitations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    9. Tomc, Urban & Nosan, Simon & Vidrih, Boris & Bogić, Simon & Navickaite, Kristina & Vozel, Katja & Bobič, Miha & Kitanovski, Andrej, 2024. "Small demonstrator of a thermoelectric heat-pump booster for an ultra-low-temperature district-heating substation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 361(C).
    10. Pipiciello, Mauro & Caldera, Matteo & Cozzini, Marco & Ancona, Maria A. & Melino, Francesco & Di Pietra, Biagio, 2021. "Experimental characterization of a prototype of bidirectional substation for district heating with thermal prosumers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    11. Abdelsalam, Mohamed Y. & Friedrich, Kelton & Mohamed, Saber & Chebeir, Jorge & Lakhian, Vickram & Sullivan, Brendan & Abdalla, Ahmed & Van Ryn, Jessica & Girard, Jeffrey & Lightstone, Marilyn F. & Buc, 2023. "Integrated community energy and harvesting systems: A climate action strategy for cold climates," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 346(C).
    12. Calise, Francesco & Cappiello, Francesco Liberato & Cimmino, Luca & Dentice d’Accadia, Massimo & Vicidomini, Maria, 2023. "A comparative thermoeconomic analysis of fourth generation and fifth generation district heating and cooling networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    13. Kuntuarova, Saltanat & Licklederer, Thomas & Huynh, Thanh & Zinsmeister, Daniel & Hamacher, Thomas & Perić, Vedran, 2024. "Design and simulation of district heating networks: A review of modeling approaches and tools," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    14. Yao, Shuai & Wu, Jianzhong & Qadrdan, Meysam, 2024. "A state-of-the-art analysis and perspectives on the 4th/5th generation district heating and cooling systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    15. Omais Abdur Rehman & Valeria Palomba & Andrea Frazzica & Luisa F. Cabeza, 2021. "Enabling Technologies for Sector Coupling: A Review on the Role of Heat Pumps and Thermal Energy Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-30, December.
    16. Calise, Francesco & Cappiello, Francesco Liberato & Cimmino, Luca & Vicidomini, Maria & Petrakopoulou, Fontina, 2024. "Thermoeconomic analysis of a novel topology of a 5th generation district energy network for a commercial user," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).
    17. Licklederer, Thomas & Zinsmeister, Daniel & Lukas, Lorenz & Speer, Fabian & Hamacher, Thomas & Perić, Vedran S., 2024. "Control of bidirectional prosumer substations in smart thermal grids: A weighted proportional-integral control approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 354(PA).
    18. Pardo-Bosch, Francesc & Blanco, Ana & Mendoza, Nora & Libreros, Bibiana & Tejedor, Blanca & Pujadas, Pablo, 2023. "Sustainable deployment of energy efficient district heating: city business model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    19. Paolo Sdringola & Mattia Ricci & Maria Alessandra Ancona & Federico Gianaroli & Cristina Capodaglio & Francesco Melino, 2023. "Modelling a Prototype of Bidirectional Substation for District Heating with Thermal Prosumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-21, March.
    20. Veyron, Mathilde & Voirand, Antoine & Mion, Nicolas & Maragna, Charles & Mugnier, Daniel & Clausse, Marc, 2022. "Dynamic exergy and economic assessment of the implementation of seasonal underground thermal energy storage in existing solar district heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3889-:d:1642724. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.