For allowing a reliable heating and/cooling of a component of a facility or building with high efficiency a method for operating a thermal system is claimed, wherein a component of a facility or building has to be heated and/or cooled by the thermal system and wherein a control mode of the thermal system is selected for bringing and/or maintaining the component to or at a definable temperature value or to or within a definable temperature value range. The method is characterized in that the control mode is dynamically selected from multiple different control modes under consideration of at least one boundary condition of the component and/or at least one environmental context parameter and under consideration of data regarding learnt/adapted thermal behaviour of the component. Further an according thermal system is claimed, preferably for carrying out the above mentioned method.