Heating and cooling
Building energy infrastructure is not a zero-sum game
Full electrification does not mean decarbonisation, writes Marco Alverà. Infrastructure which carries natural gas today will be needed in future to carry increasing amounts of biomethane, green hydrogen as well as to store energy more efficiently than power lines or batteries, he argues.
Breaking down the barriers to renewable heating in the UK
Europe is the global leader in renewable heat, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. Being bottom of the class, the UK is a case in point, writes Marcus Franck.
Clean air for everyone – Poland challenges smog
Environmental protection and the fight for clean air are global challenges in today’s world. Poland’s entrepreneurship and technology minister explains how her country is doing its bit to overcome air quality challenges.
Energy efficiency: Getting the full picture
The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), adopted in 2012 and currently under review, has been a key milestone to help deliver energy savings in Europe. But the reality is that we are not there yet in terms of primary energy savings, writes Hans Korteweg.
An inefficient truth
It’s time for the G20 to give energy efficiency the respect it deserves, writes Rachel Kyte.
Rethinking urban energy: How Europe is leading the way
To achieve ambitious climate goals in line with the Paris Agreement, cities will need to implement major changes to their energy systems by 2030. The good news is that the transformation in the energy sector is making such ambitious programmes much more feasible and European cities are in the forefront, writes Eric Woods.
Fuel poverty and affordable housing: Connecting the dots
There seems to be rising momentum to connect the dots between energy efficiency, fuel poverty and the EU's broader 2030 objectives, writes Sorcha Edwards.
Avoiding common traps in energy savings (mis)calculation
Inconsistencies in the calculation of energy savings could derail global sustainability efforts, warn Tom Machinchick and Dr. Andreas Hermelink. Together, they investigate the effect of non-persistence in energy conservation measures on meeting the Paris Agreement and other carbon emissions goals.
Closing the energy performance gap of buildings
Despite new efficient technologies, the actual performance of the heating, cooling or ventilation system of buildings is often worse than calculations or declarations. The good news is that EU policy makers have just committed to tackle this performance gap in the new energy performance of buildings directive (EPBD), writes André Borouchaki.
A new era: The digitalisation of Europe’s energy system
The clean energy transition requires first and foremost bridging energy and digital economy. The single energy market and the digital single market must go hand-in-hand, argues Dominique Ristori.
Radiator valves: A simple trick to achieve CO2 targets in the building sector
Energy savings can be very low cost and easy. You can cut bills, energy imports and CO2 emissions through individual room temperature control, for example through thermostatic radiator valves. Sarah Brückner explains.
Making woody biomass truly sustainable
Biomass is only sustainable and renewable when sourced from responsibly managed forests that are growing, not from old growth, primary forest or protected biodiverse areas. And this should be independently verified, writes Dr Rebecca Heaton.
Keeping Europe’s ambition alive on renewable heat
If Europe wants to walk the talk on climate change, it needs to get out of fossil fuels by 2050. And the real ambition must be to drive change towards renewable heat, which is still addicted to fossil fuels, writes Nigel Cotton.
Five steps to unlock the EU’s cooling potential
In our modern society, cooling is a necessity that has a strong influence on health, productivity at work, cutting down food loss, industrial processes, and more. Keeping ourselves cool, sustainably, means we could keep the planet cool too, writes Jürgen Fischer.
Cities are key players in the clean energy transition
Cities are often leaders in climate action and ambition. National governments need to recognise this and empower them with the financial and technical means to complete their transition away from fossil fuels, writes Abdeluheb Choho.
Support for Lisbon Treaty was unnecessary investment of political capital
The mantra of European elites for the support of the Lisbon Treaty included greater transparency of the decision-making process. Almost ten years after signing the Treaty, Mirek Topolánek says he now knows "for sure" that his support was unnecessary.
Cooling and refrigeration sector: the Cinderella of the EU’s energy system
One of the main reasons the cooling and refrigeration sector is under-represented in the EU energy debate is the poor self-organisation of interested stakeholders, given they're spread out among multiple industrial branches, writes Kostadin Fikiin.
Power to the people: Electrification is a winning strategy for Europe
As Europe gets ready for the next stage in the battle against climate change, electricity holds a vast potential that still lies untapped today, writes Kristian Ruby.
The keys to decarbonising Europe’s heating and cooling
Five factors are holding back the energy transition to a zero emissions Europe by 2050, writes Thomas Nowak.
Can the Energy Union become a growth engine for Europe?
The Energy Union is an unparalleled opportunity for the EU to boost energy its efficiency, cut imports and create consumers money. To achieve this, we must unlock the potential of smart systems and embrace digitalisation, writes Anton Koller.
Buildings: The forgotten dimension of energy efficiency
Improving the energy efficiency of our buildings is an area where EU action can make a big difference for citizens, while their digitalisation and integration into the energy system are indispensable for creating jobs and growth, and driving innovation, writes Lars Tveen.
An intelligent approach to intelligent buildings
What are intelligent buildings, why are they important and how can we realise their full potential? Christiane Egger takes a closer look at the growing market for intelligent buildings.
How Nordic countries can inspire the EU’s bioenergy policy
The experience of sustainable forestry management in Sweden and the other Nordic countries could serve as an inspiration for the EU when it draws up sustainability criteria for biomass, write Pernilla Winnhed, Carina Håkansson and Gustav Melin.
Renewable energy: A simple strategy to regain global leadership
The EU is no longer leading the global energy transition. To reclaim this position, it must stop prioritising fossil fuels and nuclear, increase energy efficiency and keep fossil fuels in the ground, argues Christine Lins.Supporters
What is heating & cooling?
Heating and cooling our buildings and industry accounts for half of the EU’s energy consumption. 82% of heating and cooling is still generated from fossil fuels while only 18% is generated from renewable energy [source: EC].
What are the renewable options?
Mark your agenda
Policymakers and other experts are getting together this 22nd May in Brussels to discuss the future of the heating and cooling sector. We recommend joining this workshop featuring a keynote speech by Dominique Ristori, Director General for Energy, European Commission. Register here.
More about the supporters
The European Copper Institute is a joint venture between the International Copper Association Ltd. (ICA), headquartered in New York, representing the majority of the world’s leading mining companies, custom smelters and semi-fabricators, and the European copper industry.
The European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) is the common voice of the bioenergy sector with the aim to develop a sustainable bioenergy market based on fair business conditions.
EGEC, the European Geothermal Energy Council, is a non-profit international organisation founded in 1998 to promote the European geothermal industry and enable its development both in Europe and worldwide, by shaping policy, improving business condition, and driving more research and development.
Solar Heat Europe strives for the growth of solar heat solutions in Europe through different actions, such as advocating for better regulation or encouraging the EU policy makers to shape a fair context for heating and cooling solutions.