The new HEAT-X competence centre, funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, will bring together academia, industry and public-sector partners to accelerate the transition towards efficient, electrified and fossil-free heating and cooling systems. Researchers at Karlstad University will contribute expertise in policy, social innovation and citizen participation.
Heating and cooling account for around half of Europe's energy use, making them central to the transition towards a sustainable and resilient energy system. While much attention has been given to producing cleaner energy, researchers argue that equal focus is needed on how energy is used, governed and integrated into society.
The new competence centre HEAT-X aims to address these challenges. Funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, the centre brings together around 40 industrial partners, seven Swedish universities and more than ten international research institutions. The total budget exceeds SEK 260 million, including SEK 102 million in industry co-funding. Activities are scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Technology alone is not enough
Karlstad University will contribute to Research Topic 3.3, EPolicy: Designing transformative policy for securing heating and cooling services. The research will explore how policies, governance arrangements and social innovation can support the transition to sustainable heating and cooling while ensuring reliable energy services.
A central focus is how citizens, municipalities, businesses and public authorities can work together to support local energy solutions and more decentralised energy systems.
"Public participation is crucial. Without the active involvement of citizens, new technologies and technical solutions cannot be successfully implemented or contribute to wider societal transitions. Even green technologies such as wind power can face public resistance, as we are currently seeing in parts of Värmland. Research can help strengthen social innovation and develop methods that increase citizen engagement and participation," says Avit Bhowmik, researcher in Risk and Environmental Studies at Karlstad University.
The research will examine policy instruments and financial incentives that can encourage citizen participation and distributed energy production, including energy communities where residents, organisations and businesses cooperate around local energy generation and use.
Researchers will also investigate how energy policies interact with other societal goals, including energy security, food security, public health, climate adaptation and climate mitigation.
Testing new approaches together with local actors
An important part of the project involves stakeholder dialogues and policy experimentation. Using infrastructure such as Risklab, researchers will work together with local actors to identify barriers, explore opportunities and test new approaches through workshops and gamification methods.
This participatory approach will allow policymakers, citizens and organisations to explore different future scenarios and discuss the potential consequences of energy-related decisions.
"To create lasting change, we need solutions that people trust and want to be part of. By bringing stakeholders together to test different approaches, we can identify obstacles early and develop policies that are better adapted to local needs and conditions," says Avit Bhowmik.
The research will also explore local energy leadership, public trust and the role municipalities and regional authorities can play in supporting decentralised energy production and new forms of energy collaboration.
By combining policy research with practical experimentation, HEAT-X aims to contribute to energy systems that are not only technologically advanced but also socially sustainable and rooted in local communities.
Strong collaboration across disciplines and sectors
The research will involve collaboration with academic and industry partners, including KTH, the Centre for Societal Risk Research (CSR), the Centre for Natural Disaster Science (CNDS), Glava Energy Center, the International Institute of Refrigeration, the County Administrative Board, regional development authorities in Värmland and Arvika Municipality.
At Karlstad University, the researchers involved are Avit Bhowmik, Lena Brunzel, Johanna Gustavsson, Erik Persson Pavlovic, Emelie Hindersson, Andreas Theocharis and Andreas Kassler.
Through HEAT-X, Karlstad University will contribute expertise at the intersection of policy, social innovation and energy transformation. The ambition is to strengthen collaboration between research, public authorities, industry and communities, helping create the conditions for sustainable heating and cooling systems.
About HEAT-X
HEAT-X is a competence centre funded by the Swedish Energy Agency. It brings together academia, industry and international research partners to advance efficient, electrified and fossil-free heating and cooling systems, with research spanning buildings and cities as well as energy-intensive industry and infrastructure.
