About HYPERGRYD
HYPERGRYD is a European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme project that started in October 2021 and successfully closed in March 2025. The project was executed by a Consortium of small-and medium-sized enterprises, research institutes, and private utilities, with a total of 19 partners from 7 European countries. HYPERGRYD's main purpose was to develop scalable solutions for integrating renewable energy into thermal grids.
The impact of HYPERGRYD on encoord’s software SAInt
It has been a privilege for encoord to be part of the HYPERGRYD Consortium. We had the chance to be actively involved in planning and management problems of small-scale electric and heating systems, engage and discuss with operators and utilities, as well as learn from and support researchers in the sector.
The final outcome for encoord is the new “Thermal module”, with steady state and quasi-dynamic simulation capabilities, which further extends SAInt functionalities to cover the basics of DHC modeling. The existing modules were also enhanced so that gas and electric networks can be efficiently coupled with thermal networks. And the SAInt API was extended to cover all new objects and methods.
The HYPERGRYD platform further advanced the development of SAInt by letting encoord to move the execution of simulations to the cloud as a service via the API, opening new and exciting possibilities for our existing and future clients to access encoord´s innovative planning and optimization software via a cloud infrastructure.
Various Consortium members have used SAInt to create digital twins of their electric and thermal networks. Such models have been calibrated using real-time data and applied to assess scenarios for network expansions, electrification of heating systems, and other decarbonization strategies, or expansion of wind and solar for reaching islanded mode in an integrated local electric and DHC system.
encoord has participated in multiple workshops within HYPERGRYD, where we have introduced and showcased SAInt to an audience of stakeholders from local district-heating distribution system operators, to national electricity transmission operators, Local Energy Communities representatives, and Municipalities.
HYPERGRYD's industry impact
HYPERGRYD had five main objectives:
Development of technologies driven by renewable energy sources (RES) to help integrate District Heating and Cooling (DHC) with electrical grids to provide decentralised, low-cost, and energy-efficient supply. The integration also improves the RES share at the local level, including buildings, districts, and even Smart Hybrid Grids (SHG).
Development and enhancement of innovative tools for DHC planning and optimization to effectively improve planning solutions and increase RES share, allowing existing DHC to evolve into 4th and 5th generation or to plan for new DHC with high RES share.
Development of an integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform for coupled networks and interfacing with existing grids, offering seamless transition between different specialized platforms to monitor, analyze, and operate the whole system from various aspects and different lifecycle stages.
Engagement of all types of DHC and grid users to ensure a long-lasting appeal of the HYPERGRYD solutions and platforms.
Creation of an implementation and capacity-building plan for broad scalability and replication of HYPERGRYD through user engagement.
During the project, HYPERGRYD technologies and software tools were implemented through four different Live-In-Labs cases, in three representative climates (cooling dominated, balance climate and heating dominated), with special consideration to their cost-effectiveness and potential replicability to ultimately achieve their main objectives.
The transition of the energy sector towards a higher penetration of renewables is a challenge that cannot be tackled by improving renewable generation technologies or installing batteries everywhere. It is a problem involving intertwined technical, environmental, and socio-economic issues.
HYPERGRYD new and original technological advancements provided a solid, cost-effective, and energy-efficient answer, able to scale from a single apartment to a local community.
The first new enabling technology is the “Modular Heat Pump with short-term PCM[AP2] [BS3] storage”: a decentralizedheat pump solution with refrigeration circuit modules connected in series or parallel for flexible operation to replace existing gas-fired boilers in large-volume residential or neighbourhood construction, providing a low-noise and modular unit which can maximize decarbonization levels for existing housing.
The second enabling technology is a new “Sorption Thermal Energy Storage”, combining composite materials, high heat storage density, and a multi-modular configuration to optimize operations as a multidirectional system that provides heating and cooling with high COP to and from distributed prosumers.
The third enabling technology is a “Reversible Micro-CHP with steam engine and steam buffer”, a mechanical solution offers an oil-free high shaft speed steam engine, reaching speeds of 3,000 and 6,000 rpm. It offers flexible application in small-scale and part-load, which can implement a “demand/response approach” and the ability to operate in reverse mode (as a heat pump) to charge the steam buffer, offering both electric and thermal peak shaving as well as both electric and thermal “valley filling”.
HYPERGRYD technologies
HYPERGRYD has developed and enhanced innovative tools for optimization and District heating and cooling using renewable energy sources , integrated planning and management. The tools cover everything from data management to economic assessment, from detailed designusing physical simulation to techno-economical optimization. A special focus is on data collection and management (also in real-time), and on spatial description (with maps of different types) and coupling of energy systems (particularly the thermal and electric infrastructure). The products developed or enhanced are:
the “Interoperable Digital Twin for DHC asset and monitoring data management”, based on a novel “Building Information Modeling” (BIM) methodology, combining “Geographic Information System” (GIS) capabilities, high interoperability with other formats and software tools, and extensive database and data management functionalities in an open BIM format.
the “GIS-BIM compatible DHC network piping and configuration planning” to allow the planning design and optimization of network layouts and dimensioning parameters of the next generation district heating networks.
the “Exergoeconomic optimization tool for 4th and 5th generation of DHC” a holistic exergoeconomic modeling tool for exergy-based analysis and assessment of DHC systems for cost minimization, optimal management, and integration in peer-to-peer local energy markets.
the “SAInt - Scenario Analysis Interface for Energy Systems” by encoord, a platform for steady-state and dynamic simulations of multi-carrier Smart Hybrid Grids to physically model single or coupled electricity, gas and heat distribution networks.
the “Grid Singularity Exchange (local energy marketplace tool)”, which simulates and operates local energy marketplaces, interfacing with both grid operators and energy assets (generation and consumption) to facilitate automated and decentralized peer-to-peer transactions,
Finally, HYPERGRYD provides its innovative ICT tools as a self-standing service or through a dedicated and newly created umbrella platform. The “HYPERGRYD Integrated Platform” is a cloud product offering seamless transition between the project specialized modeling and optimization tools and a more general cloud environment to monitor and operate the whole DHC system at different life stages. The platform also provides novel Machine Learning (ML) methods to couple electric and thermal load forecasting, anomaly detection and predictive maintenance, and implements a set of tools for “demand-response management”, predictive control and “market-aware demand-response management” with self-adapting trading strategies.
Closing Thoughts
The successful completion of the HYPERGRYD project marks a significant step forward in the integration of renewable energy into district heating and cooling networks. encoord’s contributions—particularly the expansion of SAInt’s capabilities—demonstrate the critical role that advanced modeling tools play in accelerating the energy transition. As energy systems become increasingly interconnected, tools like SAInt will be essential for utilities, researchers, and policymakers working to plan a smarter, more resilient infrastructure.
We’re proud to have supported this effort and look forward to continued collaboration across the global energy community.