20.500.12556/DiRROS-23641 Strategic management approaches for developing sustainable renewable heat supply in local communities A case study The importance of local sustainable energy projects in the transition to a climate-neutral society is widely rec ognised, yet strategic planning at the local level often lacks structure and consistency. This paper presents an integrated methodology combining established strategic management tools—such as SWOT analysis, multi- criteria decision-making methods for prioritising factors and strategies, and strategic formulation matrices—to develop and implement sustainable development strategies in the energy sector. The seven-step process includes defining the national sustainable development framework, identifying strategic orientations, assessing local conditions, evaluating the relevance of key factors, formulating strategies, and determining performance in dicators. The method was tested through the development of 36 strategies for a Slovenian municipality, with three top-ranked strategies implemented as pilot cases. For the proposed woodchip-based combined heat and power system, the economic analysis indicated a net present value of € 144,134 and an internal rate of return of 7.2%, which exceeds the weighted average cost of capital of 5.0%. In the second case, the utilisation of excess heat from industrial processes in the district heating system suggested potential annual savings of over 2.4 million, with an estimated return on investment within five years, assuming partial public co-financing. These f indings confirm the practical applicability of the proposed approach and its usefulness in supporting local au thorities in the development of effective and economically viable strategies for the energy transition. energetika toplotna oskrba true false true Elsevier Nizozemska Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik © 2025 The Author(s). Neznano 2025-09-18 09:07:42 2025-09-18 09:07:43 2025-10-24 03:54:44 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 str. 1-13 Art. 103763 Vol. 64 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2025-01-28 2025-06-10 2025-06-11 620.9 2451-9049 10.1016/j.tsep.2025.103763 239271939 RAZ_Kosnjek_Edvard_2025.pdf RAZ_Kosnjek_Edvard_2025.pdf 1 483D19592D09C1638FDCF3FB4BDA7F08 a91bb05f3b5d38afb6f4e789ede5dc4d7e5bf505b450f31544683f1aca58569a 7a995dc2-945e-11f0-9bb7-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=34989 Institut Jožef Stefan 0 0 0