News

We are pleased to share that the final newsletter of the 3DIVERSE project has now been published.

After three and a half years, the 3DIVERSE project has come to an end, while its results remain an important foundation for a just and effective energy transition in the Šaleška Valley and beyond.

The final edition of the newsletter looks back at the project’s key achievements, highlights the lessons learned, and shows how the developed tools, approaches and results can continue to support other regions across Europe.

All key project outputs remain available in open access: the DHNpype and DisCoNetHeat tools, five scientific publications in the 3DIVERSE Zenodo Community, the Lessons Learnt document, and the Replication Guide.

Read the final newsletter here.

WHAT THE 3DIVERSE PROJECT TAUGHT US ABOUT DISTRICT HEATING TRANSITION AND INTEGRATED ENERGY PLANNING?

The 3DIVERSE project explored how integrated cross-sector planning, digital tools, and collaboration between stakeholders can support the transition to sustainable energy systems in regions dependent on coal for energy production.

On 12 February, Velenje hosted the final event of the European project 3DIVERSE. Within the LIFE programme, the project ran from October 2022 to March 2026 and focuses on transforming the energy systems of the Savinja–Šalek region, particularly district heating, while gradually phasing out coal.

As the 3DIVERSE project (funded under the European Union’s LIFE Programme) moves from delivery to long-term uptake, we are inviting municipalities, utilities, engineers, policymakers, civil society and youth representatives to the 3DIVERSE Final Event on 12 February 2026 at Vila Bianca in Velenje, Slovenia.

At the beginning of 2026, the 3DIVERSE project is entering its final phase and preparing to bring together key stakeholders for its concluding public event.

3DIVERSE is featured in the Solar Impulse Foundation publication Energy Efficiency: The Silent Money Maker (page 136). The publication highlights practical, scalable approaches that help communities reduce energy use, cut emissions, and unlock investment through energy efficiency.

DHNpype is particularly suited to preliminary analyses of network configurations or expansions, or for maintenance planning by determining heat loss hotspots on individual branches of district heating and cooling networks where the availability of operational data is limited. The program can support designers, network operators, local authorities, and investment experts by enabling quick evaluations of different maintenance or development scenarios.

The 5th International Conference Welcome Future 2025 took place in Velenje under the title »Shaping cities together: co-creating the quality of life«. The event brought together experts from Slovenia and abroad.

The 3DIVERSE project was successfully presented at the SZE 2025 International Conference, held at the Grand Hotel Bernardin in Portorož. The event brought together experts in energy, environment, digital innovation, and sustainability, all working toward the acceleration of advanced energy systems.

The University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, proudly presented the 3DIVERSE project and its innovative Rapid Network Analysis Tool at the 1st African edition of the SDEWES (Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems) Conference, held in Morocco.