Hybrid thermal-electric networks are under the microscope. The EU-funded HYPERGRYD project will develop a set of replicable and scalable cost-effective technical solutions for thermal grids allowing the integration of renewable energy sources and their coupling with electrical grids. The project will demonstrate that smart energy networks are the future of efficient energy management in district heating and cooling (DHC) in synergy with the electrical grids in local energy communities/smart cities. HYPERGRYD will also create guidelines for the design and planning of future DHC systems and modernisation of existing ones. The project’s solutions will be tested across four live-in-labs cases in three representative climates.