COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR CLEAN HEAT

Introduction

The ConnectHeat project will develop an enabling policy framework for the development of community energy initiatives, aiming at decarbonising the heating and cooling (H&C) sector, in 7 target areas located in selected countries with a good geographical spread (BE, BL, ES, HR, IT, DE, PT) and, thanks to an ambitious dissemination and replication package, also in the whole EU.

Overcoming Barriers

ConnectHeat will overcome a major barrier in the H&C sector, since community energy has been so far the almost exclusive preserve of electricity, also because of a lack of comprehensiveness in the transposition of the RED II Directive in several Member States.

Project Activities

Thanks to structural cooperation with key stakeholders at local and transnational levels and also to knowledge and best practices transfer, project activities will culminate in the implementation of 7 real-life pilot cases of H&C community energy in target areas. These cases will cover a large range of applications, including:

• Industrial
• Tertiary
• Touristic
• Public buildings & social housing
• Urban regeneration
• Agriculture

Additionally, a wide range of technical solutions and systems will be implemented, mainly based on the integration of local renewable energy sources (RES) such as solar thermal, biomass, and waste heat.

Capacity Building and Policy Development

Furthermore, ConnectHeat will build skills in the target areas and at the EU level, support 7 more pilot replicators in the EU, and develop 7 policy roadmaps. A blueprint proposing tools and suitable supporting schemes for a stable development of H&C community energy will also be created.

Consortium and Support

The ConnectHeat consortium is constituted by:

1. 6 local/regional key actors of the target areas
2. 2 research/consulting companies
3. 2 EU associations in the district heating and energy agency sectors

The project is welcomed by 43 letters of support from a variety of key stakeholders.

Expected Outcomes

The project will achieve a RES generation of more than 44 GWh/year and 21 million EUR of investments in sustainable energy, as well as the development of 11 policies. Additionally, 550 people will be trained, and more than 10,000 people will be reached through dissemination efforts.