►Add a New Publication
►See All Latest Publications
| Title:
|
Heating without the hot air: Principles for smart heat electrification
|
| Publisher:
|
Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
|
| Author:
|
Jan Rosenow, Richard Lowes
|
| Published in:
|
March 2020
|
| Abstract:
|
Heating in buildings is responsible for almost one‑third of total EU energy demand, and around 75% of heat is still produced by burning fossil fuels. The European Union must make decarbonising heat a major priority if it hopes to meet its climate goals for 2030 and beyond. Successful decarbonisation will require a well-coordinated effort across several areas — buildings, heating systems at both the individual and district level, the power sector and the existing heating fuel supply infrastructure.
In its vision for a Green Deal for Europe, the European Commission supports this transition by driving smart sector integration and a “renovation wave” for buildings. While the transformative challenge of clean heating is formidable, it is neither unattainable nor exorbitant. We can act now – and achieve more than we thought along the way.
Whichever low-carbon heat technology decision-makers choose, energy efficiency and electrification will play a fundamental role. Energy efficiency reduces heat demand and thereby the investment required to decarbonise heat. It also enables electrified buildings to serve as a flexible resource and to help low-carbon and zero-carbon heating systems operate at higher performance. By reducing demand for and the costs associated with zero-carbon heating, energy efficiency can also support a more socially equitable heat transformation.
On a power system level, efficient electrification creates flexible heating systems that can be managed to avoid the carbon-intensive peak hours. Combined with storage, it also supports intraseasonal balancing, particularly in colder climates. While hydrogen is currently expected to be a key vector for intraseasonal balancing, analysis finds that we may have more urgent need for this limited resource in other sectors.
|
| URL:
|
link to the document
|
| Admin:
|
No
|
