In a joint statement, ten European renewable energy associations have released a 10-point plan for a successful heating and cooling transition to tackle the current energy crisis calling on the European Commission (EC) for a revision of the EU’s outdated heating and cooling strategy, the implementation of mandatory heat planning and a ban on using individual, fossil-only boilers in buildings.
The signatories – Bankwatch Network, Bioenergy Europe, Energy Cities, Euroheat & Power, European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration (COGEN Europe), European Biogas Association (EBA), European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC), European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), and Solar Heat Europe/ESTIF – have released a 10-point plan for a successful heating and cooling transition to tackle the current energy crisis which they say is a heating crisis.
Half of the European energy consumption goes to heating and cooling, and 42 percent of this demand is supplied by fossil gas.
This energy crisis must be a wake-up call for an urgent and thorough transition to make our current heating and cooling systems renewable and resilient. As experimented in the Netherlands, the local approach is the key to such a transition, provided local governments are supported with adequate human, financial and technical resources, Stephan Brandligt, VP of Energy Cities, Former Deputy Mayor of Delft, the Netherlands.
Buildings are the largest consumers of fossil gas, most of which is used for space- and water heating.
Renewable gases such as sustainable biogas and biomethane help building heating systems decarbonize efficiently and flexibly. Their utilization in hybrid heat pumps, efficient boilers, district heating, or off-grids systems substitutes fossil fuels and delivers substantial GHG emissions savings. The EU must accelerate the rollout of these solutions to achieve a resilient and climate-neutral energy system, Giulia Laura Cancian, Secretary General of the European Biogas Association.
Six months after the publication of the REPowerEU plan, signatories deplore the EU’s lack of focus on deploying renewable and clean heating and cooling technologies that can significantly contribute to reducing the use of fossil gas in buildings and put Europe on the path to climate neutrality and energy independence.
Turning on the heating shouldn’t be a nightmare for people’s wallets or for the planet. EU governments need to help all of us move towards renewable energy-based heating for good. They must support people and businesses as they renovate buildings and invest in heat pumps, and ensure the supply chain, staff, and local strategies are up to scratch. This will help everyone have access to clean, affordable heating, said Thomas Nowak, Secretary-General of the European Heat Pump Association.
The 10-point plan covers a range of measures, some of which may be integrated into the next batch of EU emergency measures.
These include implementing mandatory heat planning for all cities or the EU-wide phase-out of individual boilers that use only fossil fuels.
Heat is half of the EU energy consumption and the main use of Russian gas. Therefore, policymakers must focus on the fast deployment of existing renewable heat technologies to solve the problems of energy security and affordability while contributing to decarbonization. Solar heat offers a quick-to-deploy EU-made renewable solution that is non-dependent on critical minerals and creates jobs based in Europe, said Pedro Dias, Secretary General of Solar Heat Europe.
The 10-point plan also underlines the necessity of upgrading the EU’s outdated heating and cooling strategy with concrete regulatory and financial instruments which will support the deployment of renewable heat solutions.
We want to deliver on the Fit-for-55 package’s objectives, and it is essential to act now and put the H&C sector at the centre of the EU political debate. To reach climate neutrality by 2050, concrete actions must be implemented, such as retrofitting old heating installations with modern renewable ones. This can significantly increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions and address air pollution. With the current crisis, we need affordable, local, and renewable heat sources such as bioenergy and a comprehensive approach in our decarbonization strategies, said Jean-Marc Jossart, Secretary General of Bioenergy Europe.
These include solar heat and sustainable waste heat, as well as the roll-out of efficient heating technologies – for example, residential and large-scale heat pumps connected with district heating networks.
Efficient District Heating and Cooling is a proven solution to phase-out fossil fuel in buildings and shield consumers from soaring energy prices. Six months after the launch of the REPowerEU, we must upgrade our emergency toolbox with concrete measures which accelerate the roll-out of clean heating technologies in buildings. Mandatory heat planning, in particular, should be urgently introduced, said Aurélie Beauvais, Managing Director of Euroheat & Power.
The latest European heating and cooling strategy was published in 2016, even before the EU committed to achieving climate neutrality before 2050, and is no longer fit for purpose.
Decarbonization of heating is essential for achieving the EU’s energy and climate ambitions. This will require measures to prevent heat loss, boost the uptake of renewables and prioritize the efficient production of both heat and power via cogeneration. Wasting valuable energy must not be an option anymore! said Hans Korteweg, Managing Director, COGEN Europe.
