Critical Analysis on the Renewable Heating and Cooling plans in Croatia, Germany, Greece, Poland and Portugal
Abstract
Heat is half of the total energy demand; far more than that required for fuel, transport and electricity. Despite this, only 10% of the heat worldwide is generated from renewable energy sources. The decarbonisation of heating and cooling is therefore of utmost importance for the energy transition. The REDI4Heat project supports the decarbonization of heating and cooling and provides assistance for the implementation of the EU Directives and national regulations. This work presents the main results, concerning the assessment of the National Climate and Energy Plans in Croatia, Germany, Greece, Poland and Portugal. The study begins with the analysis of the heating and cooling demand, the existing regulations and the decarbonization targets and the progress. Then, the barriers for the further deployment of the renewable heating and cooling in each country are identified and recommendations and priority actions for faster decarbonization are proposed. This study reveals that establishing an effective legal framework, making clean heating and cooling accessible to all, addressing the local dimension of H&C, prioritizing energy efficiency measures, making more data available and overcoming technical obstacles could tackle the remaining barriers in the way of a transition to renewable heating and cooling.