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The transport sector accounts for around 30 % of Europe’s final energy consumption. To meet the EU’s decarbonization goals by 2050, it is important to quantify the energy savings potential in technology, infrastructure, and planning. This study analyses the European transport sector in the context of traditional and energy-efficient urban development. The latter demonstrates a scenario where accessibility is provided through enhanced proximity to a destination rather than through increased mobility, where mobility is shifted from roads and aviation towards rail. This development is ensured by, among other things, investing heavily in urban and inter-urban transport systems and abstaining from building new freeways and airports. The results indicate that it is not only desirable but economically beneficial to shift towards an energy-efficient transport system. The development of the European transport sector in the proposed trajectory significantly reduces annual final energy demand, and the investment made in new infrastructure for rail, bikes, and walkable urban areas are paid back by the reduced cost from road transport.

Hybridisation of district heating systems can contribute to more efficient heat generation through cogeneration power plants or through the share increase of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption while reducing negative aspects of particular energy source utilisation. In this work, the performance of a hybrid district energy system for a small town in Croatia has been analysed. Mathematical model for process analysis and optimisation algorithm for optimal system configuration has been developed and described. The main goal of the system optimisation is to reduce heat production costs. Several energy sources for heat production have been considered in 8 different simulation cases. Simulation results show that the heat production costs could be reduced with introduction of different energy systems into an existing district heating system. Renewable energy based district heating systems could contribute to heat production costs decrease in district heating systems up to 30% in comparison with highly efficient heat production technologies based on conventional fuels.