Amidst New Year resolutions, there’s no better time than now to commit to healthy heating. And, like any new commitment, it’s important to start with a plan. However, a good heating plan requires more than just goodwill from cities.
Cities and towns all over Europe are working to decouple fossil fuels in their heating systems, aiming to improve air quality, increase independence from foreign resources, and reach their climate goals. If your municipality is eager to join them in this journey towards healthy heat, we suggest three steps to detox your heat: 1) Knowing your heat, 2) Opting for a full-city detox through collective district heating, and 3) Cleansing your heat with renewable heating sources. As we start a new year, let’s focus on beginnings, zooming in on the first step: heat planning.
Know your heat
To decarbonise your heating system, you first must know it well. To start, ensure you clearly understand the heat demand and the heat sources in your system. Then, through comprehensive mapping and planning, you can identify potential ways to decarbonise heat sources and reduce demand, as well as a possible expansion or implementation of collective district heating networks.
This initial step is so essential that the European Union has made it compulsory. In July 2023, the new Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) was adopted, requiring Member States to ensure that municipalities with over 45,000 inhabitants prepare local heating and cooling plans (Article 25.6). However, for this measure to be successful, cities and towns need the right legal framework, adequate resources, and extensive support.
In this sense, it’s important to highlight that cities cannot plan their heat detox alone. Their national governments must back them; otherwise, their efforts risk being futile. The year 2025 will be important as Member States begin implementing the new EU directive, which will, in turn, give momentum to cities’ heat detox journeys.
Find out more New Year, New Heat: Time to plan for a successful heat detox in 2025! | Covenant of Mayors - Europe