Frequently Asked Questions

Urbio is a one-stop-shop platform that streamlines the planning, design, and simulation of district heating networks. It centralizes plug-and-play data, an intuitive digital twin and AI‑powered scenario generation, enabling teams to save time and money.

Urbio is designed for energy providers, utilities, consultants, developers and municipalities involved in district energy networks planning. No coding or GIS skills are required, but familiarity with energy concepts is recommended.

Urbio customers leverage the platform for a wide range of district heating network planning:

• Locate New Heating Network Sites: Identify the most profitable locations through a national analysis of heat demand and energy sources, with building-level accuracy.

• Densify and Expand Existing Networks: Optimize Return on Investment (ROI) by identifying opportunities for connecting additional buildings and increasing efficiency.

• Utilize Industrial and Data Center Waste Heat: Recover and redistribute surplus heat from industrial sites or data centers to neighboring buildings and districts.

• Develop Municipal Heating Plans: Create comprehensive, compliant heating strategies for cities that promote decarbonization.

• Conduct Techno-Economic Feasibility Studies: Evaluate the financial viability of heat network projects using detailed cost/benefit calculations.

• Coordinate Multi-Stakeholder Projects: Facilitate collaboration among public utilities, local authorities/municipalities, developers, and investors on complex projects.

• Acquire New Clients: Simplify client interaction and acquisition using a spatial Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool integrated within Urbio.

• Utilize a Dynamic Online Geospatial Portal: Securely store your spatial energy data and benefit from intuitive GIS (Geographic Information System) functionalities for visualization and monitoring.

Urbio replaces the fragmented workflow of spreadsheets, GIS tools, design tools, CRM databases and manual processes. Instead of exporting CSVs, switching apps, or re‑uploading files, everything—from mapping and modeling to reporting—is handled in one integrated environment.

The following pillars make Urbio a leading tool for district heating planning on the market:

• Intuitive Digital Twin – plug-and-play building and infrastructure data (e.g., energy demand, system sizing, building type) into a robust data management platform.

• Scenario-first approach – switch variables (energy sources, layout, renovation) and instantly compare results.

• Large-scale analysis – Filter and analyze nationwide datasets, and simulate scenarios across thousands of buildings in minutes.

• Collaborative by design – share, and version databases and network scenarios across teams and stakeholders.

At Urbio, our mission is to accelerate the energy transition by enabling energy stakeholders to decarbonize buildings on a large scale. We are an impact software company specializing in thermal energy network planning, and we facilitate rapid, data-driven, science-based decisions in the face of the climate emergency.

Founded in January 2020 as a spin-off from EPFL's climate-tech ecosystem, Urbio was born within the Energypolis innovation hub in the Swiss Alps. Our international and multidisciplinary team brings together cutting-edge expertise in energy modeling, data science, machine learning, and human-machine interaction—blending cutting-edge research with practical industry insight.