Renewable Heating and Cooling Enters the Digital Age at the 100% RHC Event in Graz
21 April 2026
The 100% RHC Event 2026 took place on 16 April 2026 in Graz, Austria, as part of the ISEC 2026 conference, once again highlighting the strong link between the Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC) community and the wider European sustainable energy ecosystem. Organised under the framework of the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC‑ETIP), the event brought together a broad audience of researchers, industry representatives, policymakers and project developers to discuss how digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) can support the transition towards climate‑neutral heating and cooling systems in Europe.
The 90‑minute session, titled “From Insights to Action: Digitalisation and AI for Next‑Generation Renewable Heating and Cooling Systems”, was introduced and framed by Dominik Rutz and Andrej Misech (RHC‑ETIP Secretariat), who outlined the strategic role of the RHC‑ETIP and the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) as a key interface between research, innovation, policy and funding. They highlighted why digitalisation and AI are becoming essential cross‑cutting enablers for improving system performance, scalability and market uptake across all renewable heating and cooling technologies, and explained how the session was designed to actively collect expert input for the ongoing update of the SRIA, in particular its digitalisation chapter.
The technical perspectives were complemented by targeted contributions from invited experts. Ralf‑Roman Schmidt and Edmund Widl (AIT) showcased how digitalisation can transform data into operational value for district heating and cooling networks, supporting efficiency gains, flexibility provision and system integration as networks increasingly rely on renewable and distributed heat sources. Lucas Verleyen and Lieve Helsen (KU Leuven) highlighted the role of physics‑based model predictive control (MPC) for achieving affordable, resilient and sustainable heating and cooling systems, particularly under dynamic operating conditions such as variable demand, weather and energy prices. Valentin Kaisermayer (BEST) dived into the topic of predictive energy management in office buildings, harnessing flexibility to reduce costs and improve efficiency and comfort. Finally, Dimitrios Papageorgiou (TVP Solar) presented applied digital tools developed in the DigiSolar project, demonstrating how data‑driven methods can optimise the design, operation and maintenance of hybrid solar thermal systems across their full lifecycle.
A central highlight of the 2026 edition was the highly interactive panel discussion, moderated by Leonie Kuhlmann (EGEC), which was deliberately implemented as a Mentimeter‑based exercise rather than a traditional panel format. Participants were actively invited to contribute via live polls and open questions using their own devices, allowing real‑time feedback on where digitalisation and AI can deliver the greatest added value for renewable heating and cooling, which barriers currently hinder wider deployment, and which research and innovation priorities should be strengthened in future European funding and policy frameworks. The immediate visualisation of responses stimulated lively discussion and helped reveal both shared priorities and differing perspectives across stakeholder groups.
The Mentimeter results showed particularly strong interest in digital solutions for system optimisation, operational flexibility and performance monitoring, while also underlining the importance of skills development, interoperable data frameworks and trust in AI‑supported decision‑making. These insights directly supported the session’s strategic objective of gathering structured stakeholder input to inform the ongoing update of the RHC‑ETIP SRIA.
Overall, the 100% RHC Event 2026 demonstrated how interactive and participatory formats can turn strategic conferences into genuine co‑creation exercises. By combining strategic framing from the RHC‑ETIP Secretariat, concrete technical inputs from expert presenters and an open, Mentimeter‑supported discussion, the event generated valuable, stakeholder‑driven insights that will contribute to shaping the future of 100% renewable heating and cooling in Europe.
Copyright: Dominik Rutz, Rainer Janssen, Ralf-Roman Schmidt, Anna Spoden, Elisabetta Tillier
