Cities and towns all over Europe are working to decouple from fossil fuels in their heating systems, aiming to improve air quality, increase independence from foreign resources, and reach their climate goals. If your municipality is eager to join them in this journey towards healthy heat, we suggest three steps to detox your heat: 1) Knowing your heat, 2) Opting for a full-city detox through collective district heating, and 3) Cleansing your heat with renewable heating sources. As we start a new year, let’s focus on beginnings, zooming in on the first step: heat planning.
Know your heat
To decarbonise your heating system, you first must know it well. To start, make sure you have a clear understanding of the heat demand and the heat sources in your system. Then, through comprehensive mapping and planning, you can identify potentials to decarbonise heat sources and reduce demand, as well as a possible expansion or implementation of collective district heating networks.
This initial step is so essential that the European Union has made it compulsory. In July 2023, the new Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) was adopted, requiring Member States to ensure that municipalities with over 45 .000 inhabitants prepare local heating and cooling plans (Article 25.6). However, for this measure to be successful, cities and towns need the right legal framework, adequate resources and extensive support.
In this sense, it’s important to highlight that cities cannot plan their heat detox alone. They must be backed by their national governments; otherwise, their efforts risk being futile. The year 2025 will be an important year, as Member States begin implementing the new EU directive, which will in turn give momentum to cities’ heat detox journeys.
Source: https://www.localstaff4climate.eu/the-study/
Heat planning across Europe
How is it going so far? Thanks to an online EU Tracker we have an overview of the current situation of local heating and cooling plans for each EU country. Through this tracker, we can see the progress (or not) in how different Member States are transposing Article 25.6 and what support they are offering to local and regional authorities in the heat planning process. The current landscape shows much space for improvement:
- Only four Member States have set the appropriate legal framework to be compliant with article 25.6 of the EED: The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania.
- Only two Member States – the Netherlands and Denmark - have set the appropriate support framework (financial, technical and staff resources).
- A legal framework for local heat plans is fully absent in nearly half of EU member states: Portugal, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, and Croatia.
“The biggest challenge for us is that we need a legal framework on the federal level, it’s very important for us. Then we need the employees and we need the partners, the companies and the institution to install all the new techniques. Then, the social acceptance.” Stephan Auer-Stüger, Councillor at the City of Vienna, on the conditions of success for decarbonising heat.
Keeping in mind that the obligation is relatively recent, and Member States have two years to transpose it, we expect to see more results in the upcoming year – which the tracker will follow closely. However, Member States can already look for inspiration at the successes in countries that have set up a framework.
The Netherlands at the forefront
The Netherlands, for instance, have shown themselves as a promising case of support to local and regional authorities in their heat transition. They provide both legal and financial resources to help cities plan and implement their heat strategies.
Through the “Wet Gemeentelijke Instrumenten Warmtetransitie” (Municipal Heat Transition Instruments Act), municipalities have been given control over the transition to district heating, meaning that, if they offer affordable alternatives, cities can decide to cut off gas connections. What’s more, through the revision of the Environment Act, there is a stronger legal basis for data management to help municipalities implement the neighbourhood approach for gas decommissioning.
Two platforms have also been set up to support municipalities in drafting and implementing their heat plan: the Natural Gas Free Neighbourhoods Programme (PAW) and the Heating Expertise Centre (ECW). These platforms provide funding and help municipalities secure the needed human resources, while facilitating knowledge exchanges between municipalities, energy companies, housing associations and academia.
Germany taking important steps
In January 2024, Germany became the first Member State to transpose the directive. This transposition included important elements, namely the different timelines and requirements for municipalities of different sizes, and a three-step approach for drafting local heating and cooling plans (including an inventory analysis, a mapping of the potential renewable heat sources, and future heat project scenarios).
Although there are still challenges, mainly concerning local capacities to access data and necessary human resources, efforts have been made to make this transition smoother. The German Energy Agency, Kompetenzzentrum Kommunale Wärmewende (KWW), has organised a “Competence Centre for the Municipal Heat Transition” to offer expertise, advice and support for stakeholders in the municipal heat transition in Germany. From mid-2024, up to 30 employees at KWW will be supporting local governments, authorities and stakeholders involved in municipal heating planning with suitable service.
Developing a comprehensive heat plan
Even if the context isn’t always favourable, making heat plans a challenging task, it is always an effort that pays off. Indeed, by starting off your heat detox with a good, comprehensive heat plan, you can more quickly and effectively improve inhabitants’ wellbeing, tackle energy poverty, create a stronger local economy, and rely on your own resources to heat your city healthily.
To facilitate this process for cities and towns, we have compiled helpful resources on our Heat Detox Kit – search this interactive tool to find support in your heat planning and in the overall heat decarbonisation. And don't miss out on this workshop to get on track with your district heating plans!
If you’re ready to embrace the second step of the heat detox – Full City Detox –, make sure to read this article, and stay tuned for more learning opportunities by subscribing to the Cities Heat Detox campaign.
Podrobnosti
- Datum zveřejnění
- 8 January 2025