In the framework of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), the European Heating Industry Association (EHI) organised a workshop/ roundtable debate on Thursday 16 June on the heating & cooling sector, to discuss ways to make the Strategy on Heating & Cooling work for consumers and show how hybrids can help bridge the expectation-reality gap in Europe.

The new Ecofys study, which demonstrates that an accelerated modernisation of old and inefficient heating appliances can play a key role to reach the EU energy and climate goals, has been presented. Manufacturers also provided concrete input on the challenges and solutions of bringing energy efficient and renewable technologies to the consumer, as well as on hybrids and on how to raise consumer awareness and involvement, e.g. labelling of installed stock, self-evaluation of the energy performance of a heating appliance, scrappage schemes, role of remote control/smart appliances.

The EU Strategy calls for placing the consumer at the core. However, besides requiring more cooperation with consumer associations on national and European levels, the Strategy does not address sufficiently how to achieve this. The event aimed at creating a bridge between the end-users and policy makers offering inputs in this regard for the on-going legislative reviews.

ESTIF intervened in the debate, raising the attention to the importance of solar thermal technology potential in hybrid solutions. 

 

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