IEA Renewable heating and cooling workshop

Background

Heat accounts for more than half of global total final energy consumption, mostly for space heating and water heating, as well as for industrial heat needs. Most heat is produced from fossil fuels and heat decarbonisation needs to be accelerated if the ambitious targets of the Paris climate change agreement are to be achieved. Currently, only 7% of heat demand is met by renewables, yet renewable heat has received relatively little attention from policy-makers, especially compared to renewable electricity. Closely linked, global cooling demand, while still low, is growing rapidly and low-carbon solutions are needed here too.

This workshop brought together key policy-makers, industry and experts to identify policy success factors, as well as challenges that need to be addressed. While renewable heat markets are very diverse and often location-specific, the workshop distilled some policy recommendations that are more widely applicable. The main focus was on renewable heat but we will also address broader low-carbon solutions for both heating and cooling.

Presentations

Introduction:
Ute Collier, IEA: We need to talk about heat

Session 1 – Setting the scene: Renewable heating and cooling policy – some international lessons
Richard Hanna, Imperial College London: What works? A systematic review of heat policy options relevant to the UK context
Benjamin Hickman, UNEP: Best practice policy frameworks to unlock renewable and efficient district energy
Jonathan Bonadio, European Commission: EU policy
Pedro Dias, European Social Thermal Industry Federation: Strategic policy priorities

Session 2: Renewable heat policy beyond the EU
Val Stori, Clean Energy States Alliance: Overview of renewable heating and cooling policy drivers in the U.S.
Ashraf Kraidy, Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Solar Heating and Cooling in the Arab region

Session 3: Achieving high share of renewables in heating and cooling & the role of district energy solutions
Marko Riipinen, Helen: Helsinki city energy
Kym Fyhr, Fortum: Fortum and renewable heating and cooling
Daniel Friberg, Swedish Energy Agency: The case of Sweden
Birger Lauersen, Danish District Heating Association: Renewables in Danish heating and cooling – the case of district heating

Session 4: Increasing renewable heat deployment from a low base & the role of electrification
Tjalling de Vries, Netherlands Ministry Economic Affairs: Netherlands policy
Paul Chambers, UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: UK policy
Andreas Babl, Federal Ministry Economic Affairs and Energy: Incentive Programs for Renewable Energies for Heating and for Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Rémi Chabrillat, ADEME, France: Renewable heat in France
Thomas Nowak, European Heat Pump Association: The role of heat pumps