The INTERSTORES project was showcased at the 15th IEA Heat Pump Conference (HPC 2026), held from 26–29 May 2026 at the historic Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Bringing together more than 800 participants from academia, industry, and policymaking communities worldwide, the conference served as a leading platform for discussing the future of sustainable heating and cooling technologies.
Representing the INTERSTORES consortium, Dr. Abdulrahman Dahash from AIT Austrian Institute of Technology delivered a keynote presentation titled “Decarbonization of District Heating and Cooling: Role of Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage and Heat Pumps.”
The presentation introduced the INTERSTORES project and highlighted recent developments within Work Package 3, focusing on storage integration and control methods for district heating systems. Particular attention was given to the role of seasonal thermal energy storage (sTES) combined with heat pump technologies in supporting the decarbonisation of heating and cooling networks.
Using a district heating case study based on real-world Austrian boundary conditions, the research team conducted dynamic simulations to evaluate the transition from conventional gas-based heating systems to solar-assisted district heating supported by seasonal thermal energy storage and heat pumps. The results demonstrated that under the analysed conditions, carbon emissions could be reduced by approximately 30%, while simultaneously achieving operational cost savings.
The keynote sparked discussions among researchers, industry representatives, and public authorities on the critical role that integrated storage and heat pump solutions can play in accelerating Europe’s energy transition.
By presenting practical pathways toward lower-carbon district heating systems, INTERSTORES continues to contribute to the development of innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally efficient seasonal thermal energy storage solutions that support Europe’s climate and energy objectives.
The work was carried out by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology together with project partners and contributors Michael Bayer, Mustafa Klafa, Lara Bajlo, Reinhard Jentsch, and Michael Lauermann, demonstrating the collaborative effort behind advancing next-generation heating and cooling solutions.
