The system consists of a CHP plant and a 441 km heating network supplying more than 7.000 buildings, thereby covering more than half of heating demand in the city. Simultaneous heat, electric energy and ice water production enables the use of above 80% of energy contained in fuel. Further progress includes increased use of biomass to replace coal. Over 10 years more than 300 of its local coal resources have been eliminated and the existing gas and oil resources modernized. This has enabled significant reduction of CO2 emission, and almost complete elimination of SO2, soot and dust.

80% of the total indoor area in the city is heated by district heating and the figure continues to rise. The network is 350 km long, growing fast and has replaced thousands of oil boilers and reduced the amount of electricity used for heating. The district heating is complemented by a district cooling based on heat pumps and absorption refrigerators. The sources of heat are mainly bio fuels and waste whereas the input for district cooling is mainly heat pumps and absorption chillers.

Under a public service concession a chilled water district network of seventy kilometres and with 290 MW of injected cooling power cools 475buildings. Every year 20 MW capacity is added. Apart from environmental and energy advantages, the district chilled water production plants centralize the consumption of resources for cooling under controlled circumstances. A further improvement has been the change from the traditional wet cooling towers to the use of river water. Results have been considerable with respect to savings in CO2 emissions and consumption of electricity and water.

A joint-venture which supplies more than 24,000 homes in the city with heat and domestic hot water. Between 1998 and 2009 the focus has been on connecting old coal and gas fired boiler rooms and houses and to the original, obsolete steam network with a new, safer and modern hot water network. The network has doubled to 100 km, with the hot water network accounting for more than half. The CHP plant has been modernized with new boilers and steam turbines. Increased efficiency as wall as reductions in CO2 and other emissions has been achieved.

The city and its building owners faced a major decision after the oil crises about how to secure a reliable energy source and stable prices. An ensuing collaborative effort gave birth to a community district energy system. It provides heating to more than 80% of the business district, with over 185 buildings and 300 single family homes. It also provides cooling to more than 60% of the business district. It meets most of the heating needs with renewable thermal energy from a biomass CHP plant. It has achieved considerable reductions in emissions of CO2 and also of SO2 and particulates.

District heating was started in 1953. Since then the system has grown and reaches today 90% of all blockhouses and 20% of the houses and terraced houses in Gothenburg. The district heating is based on over 80% recycled energy that would otherwise be lost. In the past 36 years the district heating has reduced CO2-emissions by over 90%. The utility was early to offer energy service agreements and in that way help their customers to save energy. Since the mid-1990s district cooling has developed and has for the past few years been produced by a plant using free cooling from a river, supplemented by absorption cooling.

More than 90 per cent of the citys heating requirement is covered by district heating. District heat is produced by combined heat and power generation and is delivered to 93% of the buildings. The district heating network is expanded with more than 30 kilometres every year. District cooling load is 80 MW and the cooling is produces equally on heat pumps, absorption and free cooling.

The district heating system started in1951and has grown from smaller separate units into one large-scale system, and has grown as the city has expanded. The main fuels are industrial surplus heat, refuse incineration and high efficient CHP fuelled with natural gas. Approximately 65% of district heating supplied is renewable. Which has led to a decrease in CO2 emissions and less primary energy used compared with the past. A unique district energy system using of 100% locally renewable energy, such as solar, wind and water, has been established in part of the city.

A small municipality owned energy utility that during the last 30 year has built up a substantial district energy operation. High efficient CHP solutions, close to 100%, and the overall system design give an outstanding positive environmental impact. The fuel mix in the system is today more than 99% based on renewable fuels, mostly forestry residues. Through competitive pricing, environmental profile as well as development of innovative price models and customer services, the market demand for district heat supply is continuously high.

The network started 25 years with the use of waste heat from an industrial plant. After closure of the plant in 1993, it was replaced with a bio fuel-based CHP-plant. Network expansion continued and another bio fuel-based CHP plant was added. Municipalitys energy plan stipulates that district heating is preferable and that energy production shall be based on renewable fuel. In 2010 98% of heat in the district heating system will be based on biomass. A small district cooling system is also installed. The system has led to considerable reductions of CO2 emissions.