LIFE Programme
Oct 2022 – Mar 2026 · Šaleška Valley, Slovenia

Full project website

What we built. What we learned. What comes next?

The Project

What we built

3DIVERSE demonstrated how integrated, cross-sector energy planning can support a just and effective transition away from fossil fuels, combining digital tools, stakeholder engagement, and investment-ready planning across heating, electricity, buildings, and e-mobility.

3,5
years
project duration Oct 2022 – Mar 2026
€1.45M
total eu life
programme budget
16K
citizens reached
in pilot municipalities
5
scientific papers
open-access, Zenodo
30+
events & conferences
11,369
household served
DH system
300+
buildings audited
35 K
residents benefiting
across Velenje and Šoštanj
Project context

A coal-dependent region navigating deep transformation

The energy transition in the Šaleška Valley is taking place within a broader context of regional transformation. In recent years, the region has become a focal point for green transition efforts, with a growing number of investments and initiatives addressing energy systems, infrastructure, buildings, mobility, and environmental regeneration. This dynamic environment reflects both the urgency of the coal phase-out and the opportunities associated with sustainable regional development.

Within this evolving landscape, the 3DIVERSE project represents one important contribution to the wider transformation process. Implemented in Slovenia’s Savinjsko–Šaleška Valley, the project demonstrates how integrated, cross-sector energy planning can support a just and effective transition away from fossil fuels in coal-dependent regions. It combines advanced digital tools, stakeholder engagement, and investment-oriented planning to address district heating decarbonisation, renewable electricity integration, building renovation, and mobility electrification in a coordinated manner

Cross-sector Integration

Heating, electricity, buildings and mobility planned together

Digital Tools & Modeling

From data-scarce screening to scenario-based digital twins

Stakeholder-first design

Municipalities, utilities, and citizens involved from day one

Investment-oriented

From data-scarce screening to scenario-based digital twins

What 3DIVERSE delivered?

A whole-system set RESULTS

Spanning integrated planning, digital tools, investment preparation, stakeholder engagement, and replicable methodologies.

Planning: integrated energy system planning

A coordinated framework across district heating, renewable electricity, building renovation, and e-mobility revealing interdependencies and identifying cross-sector co-benefits essential to a just coal transition.

Digitalisation: Energy System Digital Twin

Scenario-based analysis of district heating configurations to compare operational strategies and support investment prioritisation.

Digitalisation: Mobility Digital Twin

Fleet electrification scenario analysis and charging strategy assessment, including interactions with the local electricity grid.

Investment: DH Decarbonisation Roadmap

Scenario analyses translating coal phase-out into a phased, technically and financially realistic transition, sequencing investments and diversifying heat sources.

Investment: Investment-Ready Documentation

Pre-feasibility studies and investment concepts bridging analysis and bankable projects — including financing structures and procurement preparation guidance.

Replication: Replicable European Model

Methods, tools, and lessons documented for regions across Europe facing coal phase-out, ageing district heating systems, and investment preparation needs.

Open-source tools

Built to be used beyond the project

Both tools are freely available and designed for practitioners with limited data, not just well-equipped research teams.

DHNpype — DISTRICT HEATING NETWORK ANALYSIS TOOL

Rapid heat-loss screening and map-based visualisation. Enables faster scenario comparisons even with incomplete network data, making early-stage analysis accessible where it matters most.

Learn more

DisCoNetHeat — CONUSMER DISCONNECTION RISK ANALYSIS TOOL

GIS-based disconnection risk screening under different economic assumptions. Supports early network viability discussions before full engineering investment is committed.

Learn more
Key documents

Read, replicate, build on it

All key outputs are in open access for regions, practitioners, and policymakers who want to go further.

Lessons learnt & recommendations

Practical insights from 3.5 years of implementation, reflecting perspectives of district heating operators, municipalities, technical modellers, and communication leads. Includes recommendations for each stakeholder group.

Learn more

Replication

A structured guide for adopting 3DIVERSE tools and methods in other regions — covering governance, data, modelling, investment preparation, and monitoring across heating, buildings, mobility, and renewables.

Learn more

Open‑Access Scientific Publications

All project-related papers published on Zenodo, covering district heating modelling, heat losses, disconnection risk analysis, and energy flows in complex networks.

Learn more