LATEST NEWS from STEN

Sewer Thermal Energy Network (STEN) recently held its Quarterly Membership Meeting on April 24, 2025. The meeting featured guest speaker Adrian Hiel who is an EU policy professional with Energy Cities. Energy Cities empowers cities and citizens to shape and transition to future proof cities. The time of the quarterly meeting was set to allow for participation from two international time zones (Brussels, New Zealand) and three US time zones, no mean feat. We are thankful to Adrian not only for the insights of his presentation, but also for the personal effort required to deliver it. 

The presentation entitled, "EU Legislation on Heating & Cooling and the Most Relevant Elements for Cities", focused on the current regulatory environment within the EU and anticipated trends. Adrian gave us insights into his opinion about the likely success of certain measures and his impression of the sentiment for such efforts. As you might imagine these varied by region, a combination of regional need and cultural imperative. For cities trying to decarbonize, there are many commonalities of what is needed.

The overall trend is best defined using the legislation associated with the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) which prioritizes efficiency. One of the focuses is for the curtailment of fossil fuel, combined with an overall improvement of all types of building stock and the increase of district energy systems the EU thinks it can move into the future.

Of particular interest to STEN was the integration of sewage thermal systems as a decarbonization strategy for existing and new district energy systems, which are currently mostly focused on geothermal. This represents a large opportunity for developers of sewage thermal energy use (STEU). It was clear that there was great engagement between the STEN members and Adrian. Many questions were asked, and a lot of good discussions ensued. 

Again, STEN is thankful for the participation of Adrian Hiel and all its members who were able to attend this meeting and whose participation sponsors such meetings.  To view his informative presentation, please click to contact us...

ABOUT STEN:  A Commitment to Sustainability

The Sewer Thermal Energy Network is a US based international member-supported 501(c)(6) organization, dedicated to advocacy, education, information dissemination, capacity building, and networking opportunities for industry leaders, municipalities, and wastewater utilities, and academics. We help communities and businesses discover the potential of unused resources with the utilization of freely available heat contained within a sewer system for the heating and cooling of the built environment, from a single building to a whole district.

BECOME A MEMBER of STEN

Future Membership Meetings will take place quarterly on the third Thursday of the month. As a STEN member, you’ll join a group of the most influential professionals in the industry - leaders and decision makers who are working together to shape the future of sewer heat recovery solutions.  Please consider becoming a member of STEN today!