The most important peculiarity of the System is the integrated use of different power sources aimed to thermal energy production. This kind of energy is conveyed as hot water in a network implemented to supply domestic heating energy, summer cooling (through special refrigerator devices) and domestic hot water. In addition, the System supplies agro-industrial activities (greenhouses, inland fisheries, drying plants, etc.) with low temperature heat.

Energy sources involved in the integrated System are:

- geo-thermal source (12MW) exchanging its energy with the water in the network,

- urban wastes incinerator recovered energy (9MW)through a co-generating turbo-alternator,

-methane fuelled boilers(42MW), only functioning to cover winter demand peaks and maintenance periods of other sources.To improve efficiency of geo-thermal source the System include a battery of special tanks allowing to stock hot water continuatively produced - but not entirely consumed throughout the year -by this zero-impact source.In 1999 the hot water network has supplied with domestic heat and hot water about 3 millions m3 of buildings and, in the next few years, a 50%increase is going to be implemented.Lesson learned：In general, the most important lesson learned by the local administration is that development policies based on sustainability always put involved actors – and not only – in a win-win logic.

All partners in the best practice drawn a positive image, an enhanced know-how and a profit from the experience and, in the meanwhile, citizens earn a better urban context and an higher quality of life.In1999 integrated system and hot water\ network entered in their routine mode. From now on an enlargement of the network is forecast both for urban use and activities exploitation. The City's Urban Regenerating and Conservation Plan is strongly based on the network to supply with heating power and hot water the interested area and buildings. A new incinerator line – it will replace a dismissed old incinerator - will support these new developments.In recent years local development policy has strongly based on the sustainability principle: a Local Agenda 21 process, such as 10 inter-sectoral projects about urban quality of life, have been activated by local government.Amazing is the richness in positive effects deriving from the partnership tool, especially if a public-private partnership. This is the best way people dispose of technologies and resources.Many projects – smaller than this– have been activated by different departments of the local administration through the public-private partnership tools, this for many reasons: 1) to exploit people know-how within the whole community, 2) to support private
activities, 3) to involve them in the local government and in the toward sustainability process, and 4) to obtain acceptance and consequently to grant success for the initiative.The described practice found itself “best” only after population acceptance and consensus. Citizens involvement and consultation is certainly the strongest issue that makes your project, programme,  plan or policy a winning and sustainable one.