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Master'sEnergy and Networks Applications open

Master’s in District Heating and Cooling Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in district energy and heat network engineering: 12 modules covering urban heat demand, renewable and waste heat sources, hydraulic design, substations, thermal storage, construction, operation, power-system integration, regulation and business models, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse heat demand at urban scale.

02

Select renewable and waste sources for heating and cooling.

03

Carry out the hydraulic design of thermal distribution networks.

04

Size user substations and thermal storage.

05

Optimise the operation of thermal networks.

06

Integrate thermal networks with the power system.

07

Evaluate business models and the feasibility of district heating networks.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Heating and cooling network engineers looking to master the full project cycle.
  • Urban energy planners working on heat planning for cities.
  • Operations managers of thermal networks.
  • Consultants in renewable heat.
  • Municipal energy officers.
  • Biomass project engineers.
  • Engineering or science graduates aiming to move into the thermal energy sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Directive (EU) 2023/1791 (Energy Efficiency Directive, efficient district heating and cooling)
  • Directive (EU) 2023/2413 (RED III, renewable heating and cooling)
  • Real Decreto 1027/2007 (RITE, Spanish regulation on thermal installations in buildings)
  • UNE-EN 253 (pre-insulated pipes for district heating networks)
  • UNE-EN 13941 (design and installation of pre-insulated pipe systems)
  • UNE-EN 1434 (thermal energy meters)
  • Código Técnico de la Edificación DB HE (Spanish Building Code, energy saving)
  • Real Decreto 390/2021 (energy performance certification of buildings)
  • QGIS
  • termis
  • EnergyPRO
  • TRNSYS
  • Python (pandapipes)
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1History and generations of district heating networks
  2. 1.2Fourth- and fifth-generation networks
  3. 1.3District cooling networks
  4. 1.4Current situation in Spain and Europe
  5. 1.5Energy and environmental benefits
  6. 1.6Renewable and waste heat sources
  7. 1.7Linear heat density
  8. 1.8Barriers to development
  9. 1.9Experience from Denmark, Sweden and Austria
  10. 1.10Case study: district heating network of a Spanish city
  1. 2.1Heat demand maps
  2. 2.2Hourly and seasonal profiles
  3. 2.3Degree-days and climate normalisation
  4. 2.4Simultaneity factors
  5. 2.5Domestic hot water demand
  6. 2.6Cooling demand
  7. 2.7Forecasting demand evolution due to retrofitting
  8. 2.8Cadastre and energy data
  9. 2.9Mapping tools
  10. 2.10Lab: heat demand map with QGIS
  1. 3.1Biomass and its logistics
  2. 3.2Industrial waste heat
  3. 3.3Heat from data centres
  4. 3.4Large-scale heat pumps
  5. 3.5Shallow and deep geothermal energy
  6. 3.6Large-scale solar thermal
  7. 3.7Wastewater as a heat source
  8. 3.8High-efficiency cogeneration
  9. 3.9Hybridisation of sources
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: selecting the generation mix for a network
  1. 4.1Branched and meshed topologies
  2. 4.2Calculation of flow rates and diameters
  3. 4.3Pressure losses
  4. 4.4Pumping and its control
  5. 4.5Supply and return temperatures
  6. 4.6Network heat losses
  7. 4.7Pre-insulated steel and polymer pipes
  8. 4.8Thermal expansion and compensators
  9. 4.9Hydraulic simulation of the network
  10. 4.10Lab: hydraulic design of a network with specialised software
  1. 5.1Heat exchange substations
  2. 5.2Direct and indirect connection
  3. 5.3Domestic hot water production
  4. 5.4Thermal energy meters
  5. 5.5Adapting existing installations
  6. 5.6Return temperature reduction
  7. 5.7Absorption cooling equipment
  8. 5.8User interface
  9. 5.9Substation maintenance
  10. 5.10Practical exercise: sizing a substation for a residential block
  1. 6.1Hot water tanks
  2. 6.2Seasonal storage in large tanks
  3. 6.3Aquifer thermal energy storage
  4. 6.4Borehole thermal energy storage
  5. 6.5Cold storage
  6. 6.6Phase-change materials
  7. 6.7Storage sizing
  8. 6.8Integration with solar thermal
  9. 6.9Flexibility for the power system
  10. 6.10Case study: seasonal storage for a solar district heating network
  1. 7.1Routing on public roads
  2. 7.2Trenching and civil works
  3. 7.3Welding and pipe jointing
  4. 7.4Leak detection
  5. 7.5Pressure testing
  6. 7.6Coordination with other utilities
  7. 7.7Traffic disruption
  8. 7.8Commissioning
  9. 7.9Quality control
  10. 7.10Workshop: works plan for a network in a city centre
  1. 8.1Supply temperature control
  2. 8.2Pump control
  3. 8.3Production management
  4. 8.4Optimisation with demand forecasting
  5. 8.5Remote meter reading
  6. 8.6Anomaly detection
  7. 8.7Preventive maintenance of networks
  8. 8.8Operating indicators
  9. 8.9Digital twins of networks
  10. 8.10Lab: supply temperature optimisation
  1. 9.1Heat–electricity sector coupling
  2. 9.2Heat pumps and flexibility
  3. 9.3Cogeneration and the electricity market
  4. 9.4Electrode boilers
  5. 9.5Use of renewable surpluses
  6. 9.6Thermal storage as flexibility
  7. 9.7Hourly prices and operation
  8. 9.8Integrated planning of energy networks
  9. 9.9Sector-coupling cases
  10. 9.10Practical exercise: dispatch with a heat pump and storage
  1. 10.1Energy Efficiency Directive and efficient district heating
  2. 10.2Heating and cooling planning
  3. 10.3Renewable Energy Directive and heat
  4. 10.4Price regulation
  5. 10.5Consumer rights
  6. 10.6Municipal connection ordinances
  7. 10.7Environmental assessment of the network
  8. 10.8Energy performance certification of connected buildings
  9. 10.9Technical standards for pipes
  10. 10.10Case study: heat planning obligations of a municipality
  1. 11.1Investment costs
  2. 11.2Heat price
  3. 11.3Public, private and mixed models
  4. 11.4Public service concessions
  5. 11.5Financing of thermal networks
  6. 11.6Feasibility analysis
  7. 11.7User connection risks
  8. 11.8Contracts with users
  9. 11.9Public grants for renewable networks
  10. 11.10Practical exercise: feasibility model for a biomass network
  1. 12.1Selection of the urban area
  2. 12.2Demand analysis
  3. 12.3Selection of sources
  4. 12.4Network design
  5. 12.5Storage and operation
  6. 12.6Economic analysis of the network
  7. 12.7Implementation plan
  8. 12.8Conclusions and future lines of work
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There is no fixed timetable: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it is compatible with full-time work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, termis, EnergyPRO, TRNSYS and Python (pandapipes), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for urban heat demand mapping, hydraulic network design and operational optimisation with storage. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: Directive (EU) 2023/1791, Directive (EU) 2023/2413, Real Decreto 1027/2007, UNE-EN 253, UNE-EN 13941, UNE-EN 1434, Código Técnico de la Edificación DB HE, Real Decreto 390/2021.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791, RED III (Directive (EU) 2023/2413) and RITE applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:QGIS, termis, EnergyPRO, TRNSYS and Python (pandapipes), in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:A complete district heating network design for an urban area, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Urban heat demand map
Map the heat demand of an urban area with QGIS as the basis of your project.
Generation mix selection
Select the renewable and waste heat sources that will supply the network.
Hydraulic network design
Design the network hydraulically and size the user substations.
Storage and operation
Size thermal storage and optimise dispatch with heat pumps and supply temperature control.
Master's Thesis
A complete district heating network for an urban area, with economic analysis and implementation plan, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Heating and cooling network engineerUrban energy plannerThermal network operations managerRenewable heat consultantMunicipal energy officerBiomass project engineer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with QGIS, termis, EnergyPRO, TRNSYS and Python (pandapipes), using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme's software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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