During the decades the district heating’s (DH) advantages (more cost-efficient heat generation and reduced air pollution) overcompensated the additional costs of transmission and distribution of the centrally produced thermal energy to consumers. Rapid increase in the efficiency of low-power heaters, development of separated low heat density areas in cities reduce the competitiveness of the large centralized DH systems in comparison with the distributed cluster-size networks and even local heating. Reduction of transmission costs, enhancement of the network efficiency by optimization of the design of the DH networks become a critical issue. The methodology for determination of the key drivers of the cost-efficiency of the DH networks to implement the most efficient (cost-minimal) thermal energy transmission was developed in this study. An inductive benchmarking modelling was applied; the general causal regularity is based on the observations of specific cases, thus determining the relationships between the network’s design and thermal indicators as predictors and transmission costs as the target variable. The key drivers of the network efficiency were disclosed – the network length and the largest inner diameter of the pipes. The methodology is applicable for use by municipalities and heat providers for the heating planning of the new housing developments as well as renovation and/or expansion of the existing DH networks.

The sustainability of the climate is a global problem that requires the involvement of all levels of public governance and the private sector. Energy issues play a crucial role in the Green Deal (GD), and many of these issues are being addressed at the local government (LG) level. The division of competences within the framework of the GD among the European Union (EU), national governments, LGs, and the private sector has not been sufficiently discussed. Existing studies often neglect the specific role of LGs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which the role of LGs aligns with the core principles of public governance, namely sustainability, solidarity, subsidiarity, and proportionality. The novelty of this study’s methodology lies in the comprehensive and integrated application of all four principles to assess the distribution of competences necessary to achieve global goals. The conclusion of the study demonstrates that, although the functionality and competences of LGs generally comply with these principles, the role of LGs as consultants to and co-legislators with national and EU authorities should be further discussed and expanded. Overall, this study highlights the importance of strengthening the role of LGs as valuable contributors to the governance process.

Nowadays, the globally accepted UN concept of sustainable development (SD) is gradually transferred to the city level, including small and medium-sized cities. The implementation of SD settings requires regular measurement of developmental progress to monitor the level achieved in statics and dynamics, and to make strategic decisions for the next period. The existing urban SD indicator systems and indices are not well-suited for the monitoring of specific cities. Benchmarking algorithms and mathematical modelling procedures were applied to create a methodology and mathematical model for measuring the achieved urban SD level and to ensure the most objective selection and proportions of key performance indicators (KPIs) to be included in the model. The model (1) complies with the UN concept, (2) is usable for any EU city, (3) reflects the level of quality of life achieved, and (4) includes a limited number of KPIs related to municipal functionality. Mathematical computation of the (1) causality between the KPIs, (2) selection and proportions of KPIs, and (3) the general level of urban SD, as well as the reasonable combination of universality, accuracy, stability, and simplicity are strong advantages of the model. Using the published mathematical expressions of the model, calculation of the SD level does not require specific skills; the performed stability test also confirms that annual calibration of the model is not necessary. The index will help municipalities in planning and managing SD, and in the rational use of their usually limited resources. As a pilot project, SD level values are calculated for several cities.

EU legislation provides for extensive involvement of local governments (LGs) in the implementation of the "energy first" principle concerning buildings’ stock. LGs have a dual role. In the role of national government agents LGs co-financing is necessary for implementation of global goals. In the role of autonomous decision makers LGs are balancing various interests on behalf of local community. The aim of the research is to assess the characteristics of those interest groups that are short- and medium-term beneficiaries or losers from the EU recommendations and the risks arising from the choice of alternatives. Interests of groups are evaluated by the approximation of the Rational Choice Theory, considering diversity of competences division among national and subnational authorities. Evaluated alternatives: 1) security in the event of war versus voluntary initiatives for energy efficiency; 2) prolonging regeneration of woods’ biomass versus electrification of heating; 3) supporting entrepreneurship versus reduction of energy poverty; 4) individual or energy community solutions versus uniform treatment of all DHSs customers; 5) postponing versus acceleration of the electrification of transport; 6) re-municipalisation versus outsourcing buildings stock and its infrastructure renovation. Losers of energy performance policy should be compensated in the short and middle term, because possible future gains may be insufficient to maintain stability.

EU legislation provides the implementation of most building energy performance measures at a subnational level. This obligation is causing a lot of completely new dilemmas that are challenging for local governments (LGs), requiring a radical re-evaluation of the prioritization of LGs’ traditional tasks and the ranking of new responsibilities. The attitude of local population and businesses towards the solutions to dilemmas, which are set by LGs decisions, vary widely. Separate groups actively lobby for their mutually contradictory interests, questioning decisions and fighting against them during the decision-drafting and -making process, significantly hindering the work of LGs and prolonging decision-making. The authors’ suggested solution to the problem is to make municipal decisions based on verifiable data and facts, thus preventing the manifestations of populism and demagogy, and reducing the possibilities for interest group advocacy. To obtain objective information for balanced decision-making about the benefits and costs of heating system retrofitting projects without carrying out the labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly design of various options, an express methodology and an easy-to-use tool for project feasibility studies have been developed. The methodology utilizes a limited number of open indicators to streamline the evaluation process, and does not require specific knowledge in thermal physics, economics, or construction.