The HARP project, Heating Appliances Retrofit Planning, aimed at raising consumers’ awareness to the opportunities underlying the planned replacement of their old and inefficient heating appliances. This goal was achieved by supporting consumers in the identification of the energy (in)efficiency of their current heating equipment and the savings opportunities that derive from its replacement with a more energy-efficient alternative, such as renewable energy-based solutions.
By taking advantage of the heating energy label for space and water appliances, the goal was to mainstream the labelling concept to the installed heating stock, allowing the use of a well-known support decision tool to communicate and motivate consumers to replace their heating systems.
To do this, the HARP project accompanied the consumer decision process, providing an impartial message, based on the energy label and presenting technological solutions that respond to the consumer’s heating needs, providing a quantified approach for economic and non-economic benefits and bridging the gap with market providers and available national incentives.
The key to the HARP’s strategy was the development of the energy labelling methodologies to calculate the energy efficiency and respective energy class of existing space and water heating appliances. This was the basis for the development of the HARPa online application that accompanied the consumer in its decision process journey, from the labelling of the existing appliance to the identification of the most adequate replacement solutions and guidance to existing replacement incentives and professionals that can offer further support to proceed with the replacement. This application, together with a set of resources developed for consumers and professionals, was actively promoted in the five HARP focus countries throughout two heating season campaigns enrolled by the national partners.
The overall objectives of the project, namely reaching 1.5 million consumers and motivating 10 thousand consumers to the replacement of their heating appliance were surpassed, reaching nearly 9 million consumers, motivating more than 30 thousand and presenting more than 18 thousand consumers replacement solutions for their old heating system.
The results of the campaigns and the efforts endorsed at the national level allowed to define five policy integration strategies for the adoption of the energy labelling methodologies at the national level, aiming to exploit the HARP results and contribute to the harmonization of the energy transition and product regulation policies.
Five key policy integration strategies were identified:
1. Harmonize the existing systems for the energy labelling of existing heating appliances
2. Reinforce the link between product policy and the Energy Performance of Building Directive
3. One-stop-shops/renovation passports strategies to identify heating appliances replacement opportunities
4. Maintenance procedures of heating appliances
5. Prioritize energy efficiency incentives and support the energy transition of the heating sector
