Lower Austria expands district cooling as heat rises

Lower Austria is using district cooling at several locations and plans to expand the technology as hotter summers increase demand for building cooling, ORF reported. The systems are already operating at St. Pölten railway station, the University of Applied Sciences and the University Hospital, as well as at hospitals in Mistelbach, Mödling and Gänserndorf.

District cooling works similarly to district heating, but in reverse. A central facility produces chilled water, which is transported through underground pipes to buildings and used for cooling.

The technology can be an alternative to conventional air conditioning, particularly in large buildings and facilities with high cooling demand. According to the Gas and Heat Association, district cooling does not release additional heat. Conventional air-conditioning units discharge heat from buildings outdoors, potentially raising temperatures further in densely built-up areas.

The association also says district cooling can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 50 percent compared with conventional air-conditioning units. The system also removes the need for separate air-conditioning units at individual buildings.

District cooling is already used in several Austrian cities, including Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt and Linz. Bregenz was added to the list in 2025, with the first buildings there supplied with district cooling. The system uses, among other sources, cold water from Lake Constance.

Austria’s district heating industry plans to invest 193.2 million euros in expanding district cooling nationwide by 2035, according to the association. The investment is expected to create about 200 megawatts of additional district cooling capacity.