By 2050, the Netherlands aims to achieve a climate-neutral society, however over 90% of buildings currently use natural gas or fossil fuel oil as their main resource of energy. To align with this goal, the Dutch energy company is taking measures to phase out natural gas and promote district heating. This research outlines a strategic path for the energy company to connect existing residential areas to district heating, utilizing a combination of roadmapping and the double diamond process model.

The initial phase involved stakeholder and competitor analysis, along with qualitative research through interviews with the energy company employees. Housing categories were established and prioritized, while the identified problems were refined. Additional interviews were conducted to look into the desirability of the to be developed solution.

The subsequent phase involved individual brainstorming and various workshops, utilizing different methods to select and further develop the most promising solutions. Roadmaps were created, outlining strategic directions and required activities. Simultaneously, a future vision is formulated through strategic trend scanning and clustering, providing a long-term perspective and comprehensive understanding of the broader picture of the energy business in 2050.

This study suggests the energy company to focus on five new innovations. All innovations propose the use of either new HIU’s or ways of connecting district heating to the HIU. These solutions combined have the maximum potential of connecting 67.2 percent of the buildings.

Furthermore, the recommendation was made that, to meet future customer needs, the energy company should transition from their current role of organizing the energy transition to becoming a provider of knowledge and expertise.

Lastly, it was found that to overcome challenges in adopting district heating, the energy company should improve their communication about their process, progress, and the benefits of district heating to the residents.