Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Urbio?

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.

Who is Urbio for?

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.

What are some typical use cases I can achieve with Urbio?

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.

What makes Urbio different from other district heating tools?

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. Unlike other tools, Urbio doesn't provide a single source of data, but lets you choose and combine multiple sources to maximize accuracy and coverage. Read about Urbio's Data Factory here.
• 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.

Who is the team behind Urbio?

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. Read more about our team here.

First steps

How do I sign up?

Signing up is quick and easy — just visit our sign-up page to get started.

How long does onboarding take?

With our onboarding tour you will learn the basics and design your first network in less than 5 minutes! Additional material will let you master the software in less than a week.

Do you offer support or training?

Yes. In addition to our comprehensive documentation and knowledge base, we also offer personalized training sessions. These can take place remotely or at your location. We'd be happy to share our attractive training conditions upon request.

Can I use Urbio directly, or do I need to import data first?

You can start using Urbio right away. The platform includes preloaded datasets to help you explore and analyze areas without the need to import anything. In addition, for more tailored results, you can easily upload your own data at any time.

What are the system requirements for Urbio?

No installation is required to use Urbio — all you need is an internet connection. The platform runs entirely in your browser (Chrome or Firefox are recommended). Software updates are applied automatically.

Key Features

How does Urbio work?

Urbio's app guides you through a streamlined workflow to plan your district heating network scenario efficiently:

1. Explore your territory: Start with ready-to-use, georeferenced energy data from curated sources — no GIS skills required. You can also use filters and selectors to identify areas with high potential.
2. Integrate your own data: Upload your building, network, or system data in various formats (.shp, .xlsx, .csv), or connect external sources via APIs. All data is automatically cleaned and merged in a proper data management layer.
3. Run AI-powered scenarios: Urbio’s optimization engine designs network layouts and heating systems at large scale adapted to your constraints — with automated scenario comparison and editable outcomes through the use of Action Cards.
4. Generate reports: Export results and insights into clear, customizable reports for internal or external stakeholders — all in just a few clicks.
5. Collaborate and share: Invite colleagues or partners to your project, manage permissions, and share results securely across teams.

What data is available in Urbio?

Urbio offers plug-and-play access to selected, high-quality datasets, eliminating the need for manual data collection, cleaning, or merging. Our platform integrates country-specific data sources covering a wide range of relevant areas, such as:

• Building characteristics: type, footprint, height, year of construction, etc.
• Energy demand: heat and electricity — based on measured values (e.g., from BDNB/DLE in France) and enriched by statistical models.
• Heating systems: type of system.
• Greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy data: from reliable sources such as Eurostat and other European models.

Urbio doesn't just aggregate open data—we enrich it. Our processing chain includes cross-validation, normalization, correction using archetypes, and traceability for each source used.

In the application, users can see exactly which source feeds each piece of data, ensuring transparency and confidence in decision-making.

In addition to the plug-and-play data provided, Urbio also allows users to import their own datasets (see “Can I import my own data?”).

Can I import my own data?

Yes, in addition of the curated plug-and-play data sources, users can also upload their own data (.shp, .xlsx, .csv) or connect external sources via API integrations.

Buildings, energy systems, networks, and external layers can be imported in a few clicks through an intuitive interface. Users can choose which data sources to prioritize for each attribute, allowing them to override or complement default values.

Urbio includes a dedicated data management system that supports version control and collaborative data workflows. Users can create, save, and switch between data versions—enabling better project tracking and scenario comparison. Data can also be shared across teams and organizations, making it easy to collaborate securely and consistently on shared projects.

Can Urbio be integrated with other tools?

Yes. Urbio allows you to export (.csv, .shp) your data for external use. API, GIS, CRM, and energy simulation tool integrations are also possible to automate your workflows. Read about Urbio's API here.

Do you support multi-user or team accounts?

Yes, multi-user and team collaboration features are available in our Enterprise plan. This includes role-based access control, shared project workspaces, and collaboration on projects—enabling teams to work efficiently across departments or organizations.

If you're interested in enabling team functionality, please contact us at contact@urb.io to learn more about our Enterprise offering.

Can Urbio design district energy networks automatically?

Urbio automates district energy network planning and automates cost-efficient network routing and pipe sizing based on the network constraints provided by the user. Attributes such as nominal pipes diameters, heat losses, or temperature levels are also computed by Urbio.

In addition, Urbio sizes also the heating centers and different energy systems in the network (heat transfer stations, hydraulic pumps, etc.).

Can Urbio be used for network extensions?

Network expansion projects can be done using Urbio. Users can import their own existing network from a shape file into Urbio and generate extension or densification scenarios directly in the app.

Does Urbio perform thermo-hydraulic simulation and optimization?

Yes. Urbio provides comprehensive thermo-hydraulic simulation capabilities for heating networks. The platform’s optimization engine further allows you to design the entire system based on your specific objectives, sizing network layouts and installed energy systems optimally.

Users can analyze key thermal and hydraulic parameters, including:

• Pressure drop & flow velocity: Automatically calculated across the network to ensure technical viability and identify critical paths.
• Pipe sizing & heat losses: Optimized design of nominal diameters (DN) accounting for peak loads, simultaneity & heat losses.
• System selection & sizing: Optimal selection and design of heating center systems and hydraulic pumps and selection between heat transfer stations and decentralized heat pumps based on supply temperatures.
• Operational Insights: Evaluation of accumulated pressure drop from the heating center and temperature levels to ensure the most cost-effective and energy-efficient design.

Pricing

Do you offer a free version?

Yes! You can get started with Urbio right away through our free version — the sign-up process is fully automated and only takes a few minutes. Just head over to our sign-up page to create your account and start exploring the platform!

How much does Urbio cost?

Urbio offers flexible pricing tailored to your needs, whether you are just starting out or managing complex projects. For more details about our plans and their features, please visit our pricing page.

Are there any "self-service" plans?

Currently, Urbio's self-service plans are only available in specific countries.

If you would like to find out what we can offer you, please feel free to visit our pricing page or contact our sales team – we would be delighted to hear from you!

Security and Data

How does Urbio handle data privacy and security?

At Urbio, data privacy and security are taken very seriously at all levels—platform, processes, and people. Key measures in place include:

• Strict access controls with role-based permissions and secure user authentication
• Data hosting in Germany in certified data centers (compliant with ISO, SOC, C5, FINMA standards)
• End-to-end security through secure data transfer, network monitoring, and database access control
• Privacy by design: no commercialization of customer data and full ownership retained by the customer
• Flexible data retention policy, with the option to request complete deletion of all customer data

Where is my data stored?

All your data is stored securely in Germany, ensuring compliance with European data protection regulations (GDPR) and supporting your sustainability and digital sovereignty goals. Our infrastructure meets the highest standards in terms of reliability, security, and performance.

Do you use my data to train your models?

No. Your data is not used to train our models. We place great importance on confidentiality and data protection—all information you import into Urbio remains secure and is only used to support your work within the platform.