Advancing Sustainable Heating & Cooling Solutions Across Europe
The 1st Geo-Cluster Joint Mobilization and Mutual Learning (MML) Workshop marked an important milestone in strengthening collaboration among Europe’s leading Horizon Europe geothermal and thermal energy storage (TES) projects.
Organized by the GEOSYN project in collaboration with GEOS-TECHIS, GEOFLEXHEAT, FlexGeo, TREASURE, HOCLOOP, USES4HEAT, URGENT, CoolLIFE, RE-WITCH, and INTERSTORES, the event showcased 12 expert presentations from 8 cutting-edge initiatives.
The workshop aimed to accelerate the clean-heat transition by fostering:
Cross-project knowledge sharing
Harmonized methodologies
Applied research collaboration
Stronger links between science, policy, and real-world deployment
Workshop Themes & Focus
The event delivered two dynamic thematic sessions:
Session 1 – Geothermal Innovations & Advanced Thermal Energy Storage
Exploring breakthrough technologies enabling:
Industrial decarbonization
Large-scale sTES applications
Advanced heat-pump integration
Next-generation subsurface energy systems
Session 2 – Methodologies, Prototypes & Policy Outlook
Presentations on:
Dynamic modelling approaches
Prototypes and experimental validation
Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies
Urban geothermal solutions
Policy and market integration pathways
This joint effort strengthens Europe’s capacity to deploy sustainable heating and cooling technologies in alignment with EU climate and energy targets.
INTERSTORES Contributions at the Workshop
As part of the Geo-Cluster Joint MML Workshop programme, two INTERSTORES partners presented their latest research results, showcasing advancements in large-scale thermal energy storage and digital optimisation of district heating systems.
Presentation 1 – Michael Bayer (HSLU)
Title: “Cascading of Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage for Optimal Operation of District Heating and Cooling Networks”
Michael Bayer from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) presented his work on multi-functional seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (sTES) configurations.
His talk explored how cascading storage concepts can:
enhance operational flexibility,
stabilise temperature levels in heating and cooling networks,
reduce thermal stress on system components, and
support climate-neutral district heating and cooling strategies.
These findings underline the key role of advanced storage architectures in enabling the clean-heat transition.
Presentation 2 – Simon Müller (Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt / THI)
Title: “Optimizing the Operation of a Thermal Source Network Using MATLAB/Simscape”
Simon Müller from THI – Institute of New Energy Systems presented a digital-twin-based modelling approach designed to simulate, analyse and optimise thermal source networks.
His contribution demonstrated how co-simulation of MATLAB/Simscape with FMU models of sTES can:
reduce energy losses,
improve control and operational strategies,
support the integration of large-scale thermal storage, and
provide a scalable framework for decarbonised district heating and cooling systems.
The results highlight the value of cross-domain modelling for planning and operating next-generation DHC systems.