From heating and cooling strategies to action: how public authorities can strategically plan the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector and initiate impactful projects

Project Information

ActIonHeat

Grant agreement ID: 101033706

DOI

10.3030/101033706

Project closed

EC signature date 3 May 2021

Start date 1 June 2021

End date 30 November 2024

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 1 495 702,50

EU contribution

€ 1 495 702,50

Coordinated by

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ActIonHeat (From heating and cooling strategies to action: how public authorities can strategically plan the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector and initiate impactful projects)

Reporting period: 2022-12-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Heating and cooling (H&C) accounts for about half of Europe’s total energy needs with 75% still dependent on fossil fuels. Thus, rapid and significant change is needed to reach the EU 2050 goals. Due to the local nature of H&C systems, action has to be taken at local level involving a variety of stakeholders. This has been recognised in recent years and activities have been started like developing best practice policies and open source analysis tools. However, (efficient) H&C planning and project development are still not commonplace in most European municipalities.
Act!onHeat enabled and accelerated local Heating & Cooling transitions by:
• identifying success factors of effective energy plans, turning them into practical workflows;
• developing individual and group support activities to guide municipalities, local planners and stakeholder in applying these workflows;
• facilitating finance and the design of effective heat & cooling projects and policy frameworks

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project kicked off with the development of success factors for H&C planning, including a survey with more than 300 participants. Based on this, a comprehensive workflow for H&C planning was developed. In parallel, a Support Facility including product portfolios for the services offered in Act!onHeat was set up. For this, 4 calls were carried out in which municipalities and energy agencies applied. After clarifying the needs with the applicants, the delivery of the services was started.

Finally, Act!onHeat provided tailored support to municipalities, including training modules and financial pre-feasibility studies. Over the project's lifetime from June 2021 to November 2024, 30 applicants from energy agencies and municipal administrations worked intensively with act!onheat, resulting in benefits for more than 200 municipalities across 14 countries in Europe.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The Act!onHeat project has offered insights into the challenges and opportunities municipalities encounter in the strategic planning of heating and cooling (H&C) systems, along with the following core learnings and recommendations.

Learnings
• Resource and Expertise Limitations: Municipalities often struggle with limited resources and expertise, hindering their ability to effectively plan and implement H&C projects. Building regional expertise through trained energy agencies is crucial for supporting municipalities.
• Flexibility in Support: Support structures must be adaptable to accommodate the varying progress of municipalities. Providing a flexible selection of activities and tools can enhance engagement and responsiveness to local needs.
• Data Availability: The procurement and availability of data represent a central challenge. Clear guidelines for data sharing and aggregation are essential to facilitate planning and reduce uncertainties.

Recommendations
• Political Mobilization: When developing a H&C vision, it is important to involve all relevant stakeholders, including energy agencies and municipal administrations. Effective communication about the benefits of H&C planning is vital for securing commitment.
• Urban Planning: Establishing an H&C working group is essential, as is comprehensive data collection. Integrating H&C strategies into existing frameworks, such as the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP) of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, can provide a structured approach to local energy transitions.
• Implementing EED: When integrating EED requirements for heating and cooling (H&C) planning into national law, it is essential to assess how H&C can be effectively incorporated into existing policies. Simply replicating policies from pioneer states may lead to ineffective implementation and could result in unnecessary overlaps with existing policies. The focus should be on effectively aligning H&C strategies with current planning policies.
• Financing: Municipalities should leverage EU funding programs and consider blended financing approaches to support sustainable H&C solutions. Public-private partnerships can mitigate risks and accelerate project implementation.
• Communication: Targeted communication and training opportunities are crucial for engaging stakeholders and effectively disseminating the results of H&C planning efforts.

Finally, the insights gained from Act!onHeat provide a Local Replication Roadmap (Local Replication Roadmap | Act!onHeat) that integrates a wealth of knowledge to empower municipalities in developing their own strategies, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach.

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