“If we intend to take the Paris Agreement seriously, we will have to accelerate the deployment of renewable technologies in heating and cooling.” This statement by REN21 Executive Director Rana Adib during a webinar explains why the organisation has just published another report titled Renewable Energy Policies in the Time of Transition, now with a focus on renewable-based heating and cooling.
The report developed jointly contains not only the accumulated expertise of REN21’s (Renewable Energy Policy Network for 21st Century) vast partner network but also that of two other major (clean) energy organisations, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). This present edition, follows a broader initial study published in 2018 as Renewable Energy Policies in a Time of Transition by IRENA, IEA and REN21 jointly. It identified key barriers and highlights policy options to boost renewable energy deployment. The recent report outlines the infrastructure and policies needed with each transition pathway.
The report describes five transformation pathways – renewables-based electrification, renewable gases, sustainable biomass, and the direct use of solar thermal and geothermal heat – and identifies policy instruments that could overcome their barriers and increase their uptake. Each pathway has its own chapter in the report and together, they form the biggest section of the document. There is also an entire chapter that is dedicated to district heating and cooling and goes beyond the pathways, which shows how important the topic has become.
As per Chapter 6, which focuses on the direct use of solar-generated heat, identifies several key barriers to deployment, including high initial costs, issues caused by a less developed supply chain, and a lack of promotion and public acceptance. Policy remedies recommended by the report’s authors consist of incentive schemes, renewables obligations for solar heat, action plans and public campaigns (Chart ).
The authors opted to focus on the underlying technology in the main part of the report, although they point out that “There is no simple, single solution for decarbonising a country’s heating and cooling supply; instead, a combination of options will have to be deployed.” Policymakers will now have to choose among several policy instruments. Which of them are suitable for a given site will depend on local climate conditions, on whether the required infrastructure (e.g., district heating networks or gas grids) already exists, and whether resources (such as biomass or geothermal heat) are available locally. While that choice will not be an easy one, the report provides decision-makers with helpful hints in the form of tables (Table) that lists suitable policies at the end of each chapter and text boxes describing examples of policies implemented in all corners of the globe.
One application area that needs attention in the document is the industrial sector. Although the sector accounts for half of the world’s heating and cooling demand and is in the very early stages of being transformed, the report cites relatively few examples and policies tailored to industrial end users.
The report, along with highlighting country experiences and best practices, identifies barriers and highlights policy options for renewable heating and cooling.
Solar heating and cooling advocates will certainly want to take a closer look at report, which contains an illustration of the impact of the residential SWH market on jobs, something that local stakeholders could highlight in conversations with national policymakers. Submitted by Baerbel Epp. Source: www.buildup.eu/en/node/60724. (Build Up is European portal for energy efficiency in buildings).
