Heating Without Global Warming

Global energy use for heat accounts for more than 50% of final energy consumption and has important implications on energy security and energy-related CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, efforts to replace fossil-generated heat with renewable energy sources are gaining momentum slowly. Renewable heat does not receive the attention it deserves, given its vast potential, at costs that are competitive with those of fossil fuel-derived heat. This report highlights some of the dynamics of renewable energy use for heat in different markets, the status of different technologies and policy measures to efficiently promote renewable heat. It provides an outlook for the potential role of renewable heat in the medium and long term.