The project:
ConnectHeat (full project name: Community engagement for clean heat) will improve and strengthen the capacity of local governments to activate throughout Europe initiatives of innovative communities in the field of energy through participatory and cooperative local processes that lead to an increase in the share of energy from renewable sources and greater energy efficiency in heating and cooling. It involves in 7 target areas located in several countries: Belgium, BL, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Germany and Portugal.
Numbers:
7 Areas
TARGET
€ 1,5m
of financing
2022-2025
period
Context:
Although energy communities are an effective approach to promote one green energy transitionunfortunately their potential remains untapped in the heating and cooling sector. ConnectHeat is the first European-wide initiative to promote it development of community projects in the heating and cooling sector, putting public authorities and citizens at the heart of the energy transition
Project objectives:
The project activities will culminate in the implementation of 7 pilot cases in the target areas, achieved by involving and dialoguing with local actors. Different application sectors will be covered (industrial/tertiary/tourism, public buildings and social housing, urban regeneration, agriculture) and exploited a wide range of technical solutions focused on the integration of local RES (solar thermal, biomass, waste heat, etc.) and technologies (low temperature district heating, heat storage, etc.).
Furthermore, ConnectHeat intends to strengthen expertise in the target areas and at the European level, will support 7 more pilot interventions in the EU, develop 7 policy roadmaps and a project proposing suitable tools and support schemes for stable development of EU energy networks for heating and cooling.
The ConnectHeat consortium consists of 6 local/regional stakeholders from the target areas, 2 research/consulting companies and 2 European associations in the district heating and energy agency sectors.
The project aims to achieve an energy production from renewable sources of over 44 GWh / year e 21 million euros of investments in sustainable energyas well as developing 11 separate policy proposals. 550 people will be trained and more than 10.000 people will be reached through outreach activities.
Partner:
- Ambiente Italia Srl (Italy)
- Regionalna energetska agencija sjeverozapadne Hrvatske (Croatia)
- Fédération européenne des agences et des régions pour l'énergie et l'environnement (Belgium)
- Steinbeis Innovation gGmbH (Germany)
- Euroheat & Power AISBL (Belgium)
- Friuli Venezia Giulia Energy Agency (Italy)
- Plovdiv Energy Agency (Bulgaria)
- Intermunicipal Leiedal (Belgium)
- Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, SA (Spain)
- Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Oeste – Oeste Sustentável (Portugal)