The energy behind integrating renewables
The European Commission’s revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED) establishes compulsory targets for the integration of renewable sources in the heating and cooling sector. We spoke to Joana Fernandes about the work of the REDI4HEAT project in assessing how Member States are tackling this issue and moving towards climate neutrality.
The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) was revised in 2023, and for the first time it establishes compulsory targets for the integration of renewables in the heating and cooling sector, which accounts for almost half of all energy demand in the EU. Member States have their own policy frameworks in place, yet they may not necessarily be aligned with the targets set out in the RED, a topic at the heart of the EU-backed RedI4Heat project. “We are trying to identify which policies countries have already defined in terms of integrating renewables in heating and cooling. How can we reinforce these targets? How can we implement effective measures to accommodate this in different sectors?” outlines Joana Fernandes, project coordinator at ADENE – Portuguese National Energy Agency, one of twelve partners in REDI4HEAT. As a first step, the project team analysed the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of all 27 EU Member States. “We are trying to understand how heating and cooling is tackled in those national plans, and what this means in terms of increasing energy efficiency, reducing consumption and increasing the production of renewables,” says Fernandes.
A key step towards improving energy efficiency in a building is to first reduce consumption, which can be achieved through certain design measures and effective insulation. The European Commission is also keen to encourage the transition from conventional gas boilers to heat pumps, which Fernandes says would have a significant impact. “There is a huge energy efficiency gain from heat pumps. We need to prioritise the replacement of the most inefficient equipment, and we can only do that if we know what stock is there,” she stresses. A further important consideration is maximising the amount of energy from renewable sources in the overall energy mix and prioritising their ongoing development. “Where are the opportunities in terms of developing sources of renewable energy like solar? Where can we put photo-voltaic or solar thermal panels on roofs?” continues Fernandes. “There may be geothermal resources available in some areas, while it is also possible to harness waste heat from local industries nearby and combine synergies between production and demand, so move towards a decentralised energy strategy.”
Heating and cooling
The project team is looking to assess how these issues are being tackled, which may vary according to the prevailing local climate and the renewable energy resources available. The primary focus in the project is on five countries from different parts of Europe with very different climates, while Fernandes says there are also significant variations in terms of infrastructure.
“Many cities in Southern Europe don’t have district heating and cooling networks for example, while there’s not many schemes to encourage people to replace boilers with heat pumps,” she explains. A number of strategic priority areas have been identified, which can support the transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy system. “The first area is about
understanding if there is a coherent, strong and ambitious policy package. Then we also evaluate multi-level governance, which is essentially about stakeholder involvement. Does everyone know their role in these policies? What is the role of the public and private sector?” says Fernandes. “Our third priority area is engaging with local and decentralised authorities.”
This is central to translating targets agreed at the EU level into the actions that need to be taken at the regional and local level. It’s also essential to engage local people in this respect, to raise awareness and build a collective momentum towards the goal of meeting the targets set out in the RED. “There needs to be a coherence, to identify shared priorities,” outlines Fernandes. The transition to a more sustainable energy system will inevitably affect consumers, in particular vulnerable groups in society, another priority area that Fernandes and her colleagues are taking into account in their analysis of the NECPs. “We essentially evaluate the NECPs in terms of these different policy priorities and the involvement of key actors. What financing opportunities should be in place in terms of incentives and subsidies to finance the energy transition?” she says. “One of the major issues with renewable energy projects
is stop and go effects from the market. If funding or subsidies are available for a year, and the candidates are selected on a first come, first served basis, then this rewards the most knowledgeable and fastest projects, rather than those with the highest potential energy savings.”
Financial support
A consumer or business in this situation may well decide to delay or even abandon a project, so Fernandes believes there needs to be a long-term commitment in terms of financial support. This could be for the whole of the cost or a certain proportion,
economy by 2050 and moving towards climate neutrality, which will demand significant changes to how properties are heated and cooled. “There is a clear need to work with local authorities, to support them in the type of measures they need to implement. We’ve been able to identify gaps in the NECPs of these five countries,” says Fernandes.
A number of measures have been identified on this basis, some of which have been integrated in updated versions of the NECPs. The project team have developed a knowledge platform, essentially a toolbox of resources, which Fernandes says can help
“We are supporting countries in the identification of existing policies, gaps and opportunities towards a more effective adoption of renewables in heating and cooling . How can we reinforce these targets? How can we implement effective measures to accommodate this in different sectors?”
according to need, while Fernandes says banks need support in identifying what projects they should finance. “What equipment will improve heating and cooling efficiency? What impact will they have on energy efficiency? Different tools are available to assess the effectiveness of equipment, but banks don’t always know how to use them. So there needs to be some involvement from different stakeholders, from professionals with the technical authority to provide support,” she continues. The wider context here is the goal of decarbonising the European
guide local municipalities in implementing energy-related legislation. “The idea is that national, regional and local public authorities can understand what has been done in other countries, relate it to their own reality, and try to apply the relevant lessons. There is a portfolio of ideas that people can dig into, then they can reach out to the people involved to ask for more details,” she outlines. “The main focus of the knowledge platform is the heat transition toolbox, which includes a lot of best practices and tools that have been gathered within the REDI4HEAT consortium.”
REDI4HEAT
Renewable Energy Directive implementation for heating and cooling Project Objectives
Heating and cooling (H&C) represents 50% of the energy demand in Europe, so its decarbonization is essential. REDI4HEAT aims to support Member States in the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive provisions on H&C. The lack of clear and ambitious policies addressing the H&C sector in the National Energy and Climate Plans is evident. Strategic Policy Priorities were identified and resources and tools made available, complemented by capacity building initiatives to effectively support Member States in the uptake of innovative policies.
Project Funding Co-funded by the European Union under the LIFE Programme – Grant Agreement No. 101077369.
Project Partners
The REDI4HEAT consortium consists of 12 partners: 5 Research Centres and Agencies, 6 Associations (5 of which Trade and Industry) and 1 private company. https://redi4heat.ehpa.org/consortium/
Contact Details
Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES) 19th km Marathonos Ave, 19009, Pikermi Attiki Greece
T: +30 210 6603300
E: cres@cres.gr W: http://www.cres.gr/cres/index_uk.html
Joana Fernandes
Joana Fernandes is coordinator of ADENEs technical projects unit at the Strategy, Policy and Projects Department. She works in project strategy and funding, at both the national and European level.
Silvia Rémedios is a project manager at ADENE. She has long experience in working on projects around raising environmental awareness and improving energy efficiency.
