Collective actions can make the heat transition more affordable, achieve technically more efficient results and advance the topic of climate-friendly heating and cooling. At the project meeting on the 6th April 2022, the REPLACE partners presented possibilities they are implementing in their regions.
In Austria, the Austrian Energy Agency initiated a one-stop shop that will go online in May, offering heating system replacement in an all-round carefree package. Carefree indeed, from product-neutral, independent free of cost advice, over the removal of the old heating system to the installation and setting up of the new one. A get-out-of-oil and gas campaign, information evenings for end customers and support with financing are included.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, ENOVA is organising a joint purchase of pellets in the municipality of Ilijaš. The organization of the action will be preceded by a meeting of representatives of local communities, local pellet sellers and the project team in order to agree on the best conditions for the implementation of this action.
Joint purchasing of materials is also planned in both Bulgaria and Spain. In Bulgaria, BSERC is organizing the joint purchase of pellets, which shall achieve better prices for end customers. In Spain, the aim of EREN and ESCAN is to bring together interested parties using logistic production centres, thereby facilitating more favourable prices for joint small supplier companies. In the end, customers and suppliers shall benefit from the cooperation.
In Primorsko-goranska County in Croatia, EIHP plans to contact consumers to encourage them to participate in the tender for energy retrofitting of buildings which should soon be published for this region. If a larger group of consumers is interested, EIHP would also reach out to pellet manufacturers and discuss with them a discount on a larger amount so that the group can purchase the pellets together.
In Germany, the focus is on heat grids. In the rural region of Upper Bavaria, interested parties who want to operate a climate-friendly district heating system for several buildings received advice in an information event. In the course of implementation they also can get support, for example in setting the heat price, choosing the form of the company or consulting on financing.
In North Macedonia, SDEWES is conducting a feasibility study for existing buildings. The study will assess the economic feasibility of a group of flats collectively purchasing inverter heat pumps and PVs. At the same time, the group is planned to act as an energy community that shares electricity internally.
In Slovenia, project partner Jožef Stefan Institute is organising the joint purchase of renewable heating and cooling equipment. The joint purchase is part of a fuel oil phase out campaign where end consumers learn more about renewable heating and cooling. By answering a questionnaire successfully afterwards, they can then receive a voucher to replace their oil boiler by a heat pump. In addition, the REPLACE outputs will be established on the national portal for “energy efficiency in households”. The project’s main tools like the REPLACE calculator will be integrated in the national call for subsidies.
A multitude of collective actions that can also be implemented by imitators in order to advance the heat transition.