Method for controlling a thermal energy distribution system, the system comprising: a distribution grid for a fluid based distribution of heat and/or cooling, one or more production plants for producing heat and/or cooling and for delivering the heat and/or the cooling to the distribution grid, and a plurality of local control units, each local control unit being associated with a local distribution system in a building, the local distribution system being configured to distribute comfort heating and/or comfort cooling in one or more buildings, each local control unit further being configured to control the outtake of heat of the associated local distribution system from the distribution grid, wherein the method comprises: determining forecast data pertaining to expected overall outtake of heat and/or cooling over time from the distribution grid by local distribution systems connected to the distribution grid, and to expected production capacity of heat and/or cooling in the one or more production plants; determining, at a control server, a time resolved control signal, the control signal being based on the forecast data and being associated with at least one local control unit of said local control units, wherein the time resolved control signal comprises information pertaining to a temperature offset; sending the control signal from the control server to each of the at least one local control unit of said local control units, receiving the control signal at each of the at least one local control unit of said local control units, and determining, at the at least one of said local control units, a respective steering temperature based on a temperature outside the respective building and on the temperature offset of the time resolved control signal; regulating over time, based on the determined steering temperature, the outtake of heat and/or cooling of the local distribution system from the distribution grid. a distribution grid for a fluid based distribution of heat and/or cooling, one or more production plants for producing heat and/or cooling and for delivering the heat and/or the cooling to the distribution grid, and a plurality of local control units, each local control unit being associated with a local distribution system in a building, the local distribution system being configured to distribute comfort heating and/or comfort cooling in one or more buildings, each local control unit further being configured to control the outtake of heat of the associated local distribution system from the distribution grid, wherein the method comprises: determining forecast data pertaining to expected overall outtake of heat and/or cooling over time from the distribution grid by local distribution systems connected to the distribution grid, and to expected production capacity of heat and/or cooling in the one or more production plants; determining, at a control server, a time resolved control signal, the control signal being based on the forecast data and being associated with at least one local control unit of said local control units, wherein the time resolved control signal comprises information pertaining to a temperature offset; sending the control signal from the control server to each of the at least one local control unit of said local control units, receiving the control signal at each of the at least one local control unit of said local control units, and determining, at the at least one of said local control units, a respective steering temperature based on a temperature outside the respective building and on the temperature offset of the time resolved control signal; regulating over time, based on the determined steering temperature, the outtake of heat and/or cooling of the local distribution system from the distribution grid. determining forecast data pertaining to expected overall outtake of heat and/or cooling over time from the distribution grid by local distribution systems connected to the distribution grid, and to expected production capacity of heat and/or cooling in the one or more production plants; determining, at a control server, a time resolved control signal, the control signal being based on the forecast data and being associated with at least one local control unit of said local control units, wherein the time resolved control signal comprises information pertaining to a temperature offset; sending the control signal from the control server to each of the at least one local control unit of said local control units, receiving the control signal at each of the at least one local control unit of said local control units, and determining, at the at least one of said local control units, a respective steering temperature based on a temperature outside the respective building and on the temperature offset of the time resolved control signal; regulating over time, based on the determined steering temperature, the outtake of heat and/or cooling of the local distribution system from the distribution grid.