EU Policy on Renewable Heating & Cooling
Current status
Until a few years ago, the renewable energy policy debate and legislation focused almost exclusively on electricity and transport fuels. Renewables for heating and cooling (RES-H) were largely neglected. In most EU Member States, there is not yet a comprehensive approach to support RES-H. As a result, growth in this sector has been rather sluggish compared to the growth rates achieved in the renewable electricity and transport sectors. Still in terms of the overall amount renewables heating plays a major role today and in future.
The heating and cooling sector represents circa half of the final energy consumption in the EU. Europe can no longer afford to neglect the huge potential of renewables in the heating and cooling sector. That is the reason why EREC, together with other associations, initiated in 2005 a Joint Declaration asking the EU Institutions to fill this legislative vacuum and tap into this huge potential.
The European Parliament – as it often the case – was the first of the European institutions to realize the huge potential and support the call for a directive with its own initiative report outlining in detail the expectations for a possible directive.
Towards 2020
Initially the Commission planned to react to this strong call by proposing a directive accordingly, but then decided to change its approach and announced in January 2007 to instead put forward a Framework Directive on renewable energy covering heating and cooling together with the electricity and transport sectors.
According to EREC’s estimates, 25 % of the EU heating and cooling supply can be provided by renewables by 2020, if the EU sets the right policy framework in due time. To achieve that, measures such as removal of administrative barriers, awareness raising and improved statistics need to be put in place. Regulations supporting the use of renewable energies for heating and cooling purposes such as – for instance- a renewable heat obligation could also be implemented.
EREC’s positions on Renewable Heating & Cooling
- PowerPoint Presentation on Renewable Heating and Cooling.
This presentation explains the current challenges of the sector. - The Renewable Heating and Cooling Action Plan
In January 2007, EREC issued this Action Plan to provide guidelines on best practice regulations, financial incentives and innovative applications. This Action Plan also provided methods for target setting and measurement of energy delivery. - EREC's response to the European Commission’s public consultation on heating and cooling from renewable energies.
On 16 August 2006 the European Commission launched a public consultation to gather information on the design of future EU legislation on renewable heating and cooling. - The European Parliament adopted an Initiative Report on Renewable Heating and Cooling in February 2006 calling the European Commission to present a Directive Proposal for the promotion of renewable heating and cooling. EREC’s reaction: Now the Commission has to act!
- A joint declaration, initiated by EREC, called upon the EU Institutions to act in the renewable heating and cooling sector.
(April 2005) Initially, more than 40 organisations expressed their support for the Joint Declaration; now it is over 100.
