Category: news highlights

“The European project REPLACE explored the challenges and solutions associated with switching to more sustainable options for heating and cooling.”

https://www.buildup.eu/en/practices/publications/making-heating-and-cooling-sustainable-barriers-solutions-and-best-practices

On Saturday, 22 January 2022, four operators of district heating systems in the Oberland opened their doors. Interested imitators were able to ask questions about planning, construction and operation and received practical tips. The action took place in cooperation between deputy regional farmer Christine Singer from Hofheim and the EU-funded heating exchange project REPLACE of Energiewende Oberland.

In Antdorf, Johann Schweyer Sr. has already cleared the snow on the way to the heating house. Inside you can see the district heating system, which has been reliably supplying heat to four houses with a total of twelve households since 2009. What motivated them to build it? How do the operators monitor their systems? And what tips do they have for imitators? In addition to the Schweyer family, operators from Habach (Strobl and Kennerknecht families), Leibersberg (Georg Miller) and Hofheim (Singer family) took part in the campaign and answered questions.

All four district heating families have farms and at the same time act as heat suppliers for the neighbouring houses. As Josef Schweyer jun. from Antdorf reports, they can thus bring in their own wood for the woodchip heating system and thus also generate added value for their own farm. The reason for building the system in Antdorf was the planning of further buildings in the same street and thus the idea of a joint heat supply. In the case of the Singer family in Hofheim, it was the thought of ageing and the desire to use a simpler heating technology than logs. In conversation with the neighbours, the district heating system for all came about by chance. And for Markus Kennerknecht from Habach, the advantage of a communal heating system is clear: “With a district heating system, people don’t need to buy oil or pellets, and the smell of oil in the cellar is gone.”

When: 08.04.2022, from 13:30 to 16:00

Where: Online

About the workshop:

Half of Europe’s energy consumption is used for heating and cooling (H&C). However, two thirds of the heating systems installed in European buildings are inefficient.
In order to achieve climate neutrality, the decarbonisation of the space heating and cooling in residential sector is therefore essential.

The REPLACE project partners are pleased to invite you to the event “Towards Renewable Heating & Cooling: Replacement of Inefficient Systems in the Residential Sector” to present the key findings of the project and discuss the framework conditions for replacement, exchanging old conventional fossil fuel systems with renewable ones.

This event is an excellent opportunity to learn how the phase-out of fossil-based heating systems can be brought forward in the European agenda and to find out more about modern renewable technologies. The event will also provide the chance to engage with key policymakers, industry and end-users representatives on the potential and challenges of renewable H&C solutions in buildings. We invite you for discussions on how renewable energy at home can contribute to Europe’s energy transition, while empowering consumers in their energy choices.

Registration: please, register to the European Energy Efficiency Conference in order to have access to the REPLACE workshop (participation is free of charge by selecting the option “Innovation Workshops”)

In order to highlight the effort of the heat consumers switching their heat system to renewable energies, a 100% RHC label was designed to display on their houses with a purpose to encourage and motive other consumers to replace their system to climate friendly alternatives. Therefore, in early October KAGoP region initiate a call and published it on the municipal websites, so that the citizens who have 100% RHC system can apply and be awarded with green sticker and energy efficient lights. The response was really satisfying, as almost 80 citizens were interested and wiling to represent an example for environmentally aware end-users. Given the current pandemic situation, KAGoP region organized separate events in each of the municipalities where the citizens could receive their green labels. The first event was organized in municipality of Karposh on 7^th of December 2021, where the mayor expressed his contentment about this successful campaign. Additionally, two other events on the 21^st of December in municipality of Gjorce Petrov and 23^rd of December in municipality of Aerodrom were organized where the municipal representatives shared the labels among the end-users who have installed renewable heating system. The campaign was finalized as the consumers displayed their labels and provide us with many photos of different renewable heating systems, becoming an example for good replacement practices. 

REPLACE is driving efficient heating and cooling in Europe: with its new Calculator, end users and professionals can calculate sustainable heating projects. A matrix shows which renewable heating systems fit which building types. And two dedicated manuals help end users and professionals to switch towards sustainable heating technologies. All tools are adapted to the ten project regions from Western over Central to South-Eastern Europe.

Topics in the newsletter are:

• REPLACE tools – ready for action!
• REPLACE campaigns in the target regions
• REPLACE Energy Summits
• Condensed knowledge – new REPLACE reports

The training seminar for intermediaries and investors was organized online using the ZOOM platform on 17.12.2021 starting at 11:00 CET with a duration of an hour and a half. As a follow up on the first training where many renewable heating and cooling systems options and the importance of their promotion were shared with the participants, the second training was more focused on the tools that the intermediaries and investors could use to encourage end-users to replace their inefficient heating systems. Therefore, the REPLACE Your Heating System Calculator was presented, as it is beneficial for the investors and intermediaries to depict the energy and financial savings and societal impacts from the H&C replacements. Around 15 attendees made the discussion fruitful and contributed with valuable comments. Moreover they will further promote it on the website and build the capacities of the end users.

When replacing inefficient heating systems, the REPLACE Heating Matrices provide an initial overview: They show which type of heating system based on renewable energy sources or a connection to district heat is most suitable for your single or double family houses or for your larger volume building. 

The REPLACE your Heating System Calculator is online. It helps end consumers, intermediaries and investors to find the best future-proof, resilient and climate-friendly alternative to an old heating system in just three steps. Almost like an energy consultation. The calculator is tailored to the situation in 10 European target regions and works in 8 languages (BiH, DE, BG, ES, HR, MK, RS, SL).

Besides taking into account technical features like the current energy consumption, the heat delivery system and hot water preparation, or the possibility of a connection to a district/ local heating network, the tool includes all currently possible subsidies of 10 European target regions in the overall consideration. A lot of further information like technology factsheets, national best practice examples and useful contacts for boiler and oven replacements are provided.