Renewable Heating and Cooling
Project details: FP7 Support Action
Full title: Supporting the activities of the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling
Acronym: SecRHC-Platform
Contract number: 268205
Project duration: 36 months (01/01/2011 - 31/12/2013)
Website: http://www.rhc-platform.org/cms/
Email: info@rhc-platform.org
BACKGROUND
Every year, almost 50% of the total energy consumed in Europe is used for the generation of heat for either domestic or industrial purposes.
The vast majority of this energy is produced through the combustion of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal – with an impressive environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Today the social, natural and economic costs of climate change highlight the urgency of moving towards a new and more sustainable energy scenario. For all these reasons policy makers, investors and citizens are realising that the time for heating and cooling from renewable energy sources has come.
The European Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan – proposed by the European Commission in order to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon energy technologies – recognises the essential role of renewable energy sources for heating and cooling as a part of the EU’s strategy to improve the security of the energy supplies and to foster a competitive edge in the related highly innovative industries.
The European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC-Platform) brings together stakeholders from the biomass, geothermal and solar thermal sector - including the related industries - to define a common strategy for increasing the use of renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling.
Building on the experience matured since 2005 within the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP), now incorporated in the RHC-Platform, four major European organisations – EUREC, AEBIOM, EGEC and ESTIF – are supporting through the RHC-Platform Secretariat the process towards the definition of a joint Vision and Strategic Research Agenda for the renewable heating and cooling sector.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The Support Action "SecRHC-Platform" aims at providing continuity to the activities carried out by the Secretariat of the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling since the establishment of this ETP in 2008.
Identifying technological requirements for the RHC sector and defining strategic priorities in terms of scientific research and development are crucial objectives of the RHC-Platform’s Secretariat.
Supporting the synchronisation of energy, research and innovation policies with the technological priorities identified by the RHC-Platform represents another major objective of this multi-stakeholders initiative. In fact, designing and implementing a comprehensive framework for the increased penetration of renewable heating and cooling in national heating and cooling markets, as well as at European level, is a key challenge involving a full range of non-technological issues which are also covered by the RHC-Platform.
The establishment of a European Technology Platform specifically dedicated to renewable heating and cooling is therefore a crucial strategic measure to achieve the 20-20-20 European targets (Directive 2009/28). Within the Support Action "SecRHC-Platform”, the RHC-Platform will pursue the following primary objectives:
- Strengthen awareness of the huge potential of renewable heating and cooling technologies to contribute to a sustainable energy system of the future;
- Realise the European Strategic Research Agenda for RHC for the next decade(s) and give recommendations for its implementation;
- Establish the framework conditions for a long term effective cooperation among industry, research and public authorities interested in the European energy and climate change policy, with focus on renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling.
PUBLICATIONS
The first official publication of the RHC-Platform is the "Common Vision for the Renewable Heating and Cooling sector in Europe: 2020 - 2030 - 2050", unveiled in May 2011 at the 2nd Annual Conference of the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (Budapest, HU).
The publication explores the potential of biomass, geothermal and solar thermal energy which together with heat pumps can cover 100% of Europe’s heating and cooling demand before the year 2050. To realise this huge potential, the RHC-Platform advocates a significant budget increase for research and development in renewable heating and cooling technologies over the next few years.
STRUCTURE
The scope and operational structure of the RHC-Platform are such as to ensure a balanced and active participation of the major stakeholders at the appropriate levels, including all concerned industries, scientific research organisations, public authorities, users and civil society.
EUREC ROLE IN THE RHC-PLATFORM
In quality of project coordinator, EUREC Agency is the ultimate responsible for supporting and coordinating the activities of the RHC-Platform's Members and for ensuring the definition and implementation of the Common Vision and Strategic Research Agenda.
In particular, EUREC is leading WP1 on "Project Coordination and Management" and WP2 which provides "Support to the definition and implementation of common research priorities for the renewable heating and cooling sector".
Moreover, EUREC is directly responsible for supporting the activities of the "Cross-cutting Technology Panel" which includes a number of technologies which are important for the large scale deployment of renewable energy sources and / or for its integration ion buildings (such as district heating and cooling, thermal energy storage, hybrid systems and heat pumps).
Having led the process towards the creation of a European Renewable Heating and Cooling Technology Platform from the ESTTP, and being recognised as the most authoritative representative of the European research community in all renewable energy technologies, EUREC Agency is today up to the ambitious challenge of playing the steering role within the Secretariat of the RHC-Platform.
