How do end-consumers, intermediaries and investors perceive renewable heating and cooling? What information sources do they use? And what barriers, challenges and needs do they view in respect to replacing inefficient systems with sustainable ones? Numerous interviews have been conducted in all partner regions. The respective Report D3.1 provides insight in the mind-sets and needs of stakeholders and forms a basis for the REPLACE campaigns.
Key findings include e.g. that there are still like-for-like replacements in the field of oil and especially natural gas because consumers are used to these systems. Furthermore, the current Covid-19 pandemic leads to a market situation with low prices for fuel oil and natural gas, currently challenging momentum towards a more climate friendly heating infrastructure in the housing sector. Nevertheless, the interviews showed as well that there is a great desire from all stakeholders in the improvement of the replacement of old heating systems by new ones that are more environmentally friendly and have a lower energy consumption. There is great awareness about the implications and impacts of the old and new heating systems. And this awareness is even increasing with younger generations getting more involved.
Findings from interviews and main conclusions are depicted for the REPLACE target regions in Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Spain.