Key Issue 3 - Regulations
Regulations are defined here as any kind of legislative or administrative rules affecting the growth of RES-H, excluding those linked to financial incentives that are highlighted in Key Issue 4.
This key issue identifies best practice regulations for RES-H, which are most suitable to promote the uptake of RES-H, and worst practice regulations that hamper the development of RES-H. The outcome of Key Issue 3 is a set of guidelines to design and implement regulations to best promote RES-H and to avoid hampering of RES-H deployment by unnecessary administrative or regulatory barriers.
Best practice regulations for RES heat
Based on a set of common indicators, a number of case studies of local or national regulations successful in promoting some RES-H application have been produced. Special attention was given to the Spanish solar thermal obligations, which are considered by many as a model. For this reason, the Spanish national energy agency IDAE and the Barcelona Energy Agency have joined the consortium. The Energy Agency of the Region of Kassel (Germany) joined the consortium to perform a study on the implementation of a specific obligation applied in the town of Vellmar.
The results of the analyses for the different technologies are going to be integrated in an easily understandable form to serve as guidelines for the development of best practice regulations for RES-H on the local, regional or national level. If possible, common denominators among the different RES-H technologies are going to be found, in view of defining regulations that can promote RES-H as a whole.
Worst practice regulations for RES heat
Despite the wide spread public support for renewable energies, various regulations exist which hamper the market penetration of RES heating technologies, e.g. building regulations preventing the installation of solar collectors on certain buildings, or complex procedures for permits to build geothermal plants. Some of these regulations could be adapted to be more RES friendly without overruling their original purpose.
A list of such hampering regulatory elements is going to be produced. If possible, appropriate changes are going to be proposed. These will be used to raise awareness on such artificial and largely unintended barriers for RES heat.
Project results currently available:
