Assessment of heating and cooling related chapters of the national energy and climate plans (NECPs)
National Climate and Energy Plans (NECPs) are a part of the Clean Energy for all Europeans package. They describe strategies and measures how the EU Member States intend to address energy efficiency, renewables, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, interconnections, as well as research and innovation. This report analyses the Member States’ plans and measures related to renewable energy and energy savings in the heating and cooling (H&C) sector from 2020 to 2030.
National energy and climate plans (NECPs) are part of the ‘Clean energy for all Europeans’ package. They describe strategies and measures through which the European Union Member States intend to address energy efficiency, renewable energy, greenhouse gas emission reductions, interconnections,
and research and innovation. EU Member States were required to submit their final NECPs to the Commission by the end of 2019. This report analyses Member States’ plans and measures related to renewable energy and energy
savings in the heating and cooling (H & C) sector from 2020 to 2030. Among other things, it analyses how Member States intend to meet the targets specified in articles of the renewable energy directive (RED II) and the energy efficiency directive (EED). For example, according to Article 23 of RED II, countries should report their annual increase in the share of renewable energy sources in the H & C sector and the role of waste heat and cold. With respect to efficient H & C, Member States are to communicate energy savings as required by Article 7 of the EED, as well as the current potential for the application of high-efficiency co-generation and efficient district heating and cooling (DHC) in
accordance with Article 14 of the EED.
The scope of the NECPs is large, and a clear and detailed overview of all sectors is challenging to provide for Member States. Member States addressed various areas related to the H & C sector in their NECPs, which allowed us to assess the status of the European H & C market and its development, as well as national plans and measures to achieve the renewable energy and energy efficiency targets. All EU Member States’ NECPs were analysed with regard to the H & C sector. Although significant efforts had been made to address this sector, there were also many aspects that had not been incorporated by all Member States, for example high-efficiency co-generation and efficient DHC. It was often stated that some information would be provided later, pending their respective analyses carried out in line with other directives, for example a long-term strategy for the renovation of buildings and potential for efficient DHC. Nevertheless, a significant amount of information could be extracted, which allowed the progress achieved to be made visible. The final NECPs anticipated a share of renewable energy in the H & C sector of 23 % in 2020 and a share of 33 % in 2030.
All countries expect to see an increase in this period; however, their levels of ambition vary significantly. Nine countries meet the target set out in Article 23 of RED II of a 1.3 percentage point annual increase in renewables in the H & C sector. Only a few countries provided details about the constraints that caused them not to meet the objectives. Biomass and heat pumps were the dominant renewable technologies in 2018. Biomass accounted for 81 % and heat pumps for 11 % of the final energy consumption from renewables in the H & C sector. The relative contribution of biomass among the renewable H & C technologies is expected to decrease
by 2030. However, with a share of 66 %, it will remain the dominant technology in the EU-27.
The contribution from heat pumps was 11.3 Mtoe in 2018, and it is expected to increase to 21.1 Mtoe by 2030, thereby contributing 17 % of renewable H & C. Projections for heat supply from DHC were often not provided. Increased use is envisaged in three countries (BE, LT, NL) and a decline is expected in six countries (CZ, DK, EE, PL, FI, SE). This decrease is mainly due to efficiency improvements in the building stock and district heating networks. Most countries that supplied data on the share of renewable energy in DHC met the target specified in Article 24 RED II of a 10 percentage point increase from 2020 to 2030.
Including 25 Member States of the EU. Data for Spain and Latvia are not included (no data found in the NECPs).The contribution from waste heat in DHC systems today or in the future (Article 24 of RED II) was not detailed in any of the NECPs, although some countries mentioned that they intended to make use of that resource (e.g. FR). Six Member States (CZ, EE, LU, PT, SI, SK) expect increased heat supply from combined heat and power CHP in the period 2020–2030, whereas six countries (DK, DE, ES, NL, AT, FI) expect decreased heat supply from CHP. The mixed trends are due to different market conditions and national priorities. The most common policy concerns achieving energy savings through better insulation of buildings. Overall, 20 Member States have measures for building renovation. Measures related to phasing out fossil fuels in the heating sector were put forward by eight Member States. Measures for greater use of waste heat were presented by seven Member States. Measures concerning the efficiency and RES in industrial H&C processes were not often specified. The policies and measures in the H & C sector were often incomplete and did not set out the amount of savings that would be achieved or the amount of emissions that would be avoided.Regarding investment requirements for the H & C sector, investments in building renovation are most prominent in many countries, followed by investments in the centralised energy supply (district heating network, CHP and modernisation or installation of renewable decentralised heating systems (e.g. heat pumps). Sources of financing were mostly not provided per measure.
