ConnectHeat (full name: Community engagement for clean heat) will improve and build the capacities of public authorities to trigger innovative community energy initiatives through local participative and cooperative processes leading to increased share of renewables in and higher energy efficiency of heating and cooling across Europe. It has received 1.5 million Euros in funding from the EU’s LIFE Programme and will run from October 2022 to September 2025, developing seven real pilot cases in different EU countries.
say Riccardo Battisti and Chiara Lazzari, both Senior Project Managers at Ambiente Italia, and coordinators of ConnectHeat.
Heating and cooling account for roughly 50% of EU energy consumption from which more than 75% come from fossil fuels. Renewable and clean heating and cooling is a key enabler for a sustainable energy transition towards decarbonisation and energy autonomy in the current energy crisis. Increasing energy efficiency and sustainability of this sector is necessary to achieve the ambitious targets the EU has set within its European Green Deal and recent REPowerEU plan, the most prominent one being climate neutrality by 2050.
Local and regional public authorities are well positioned to drive the green transition of heating and cooling thanks to their proximity to citizens and territories. Through the implementation of effective heating and cooling decarbonisation strategies including community energy, they can significantly support Europe on its path to becoming the first climate-neutral continent.
Coordinated by Ambiente Italia, the ConnectHeat multidisciplinary consortium is composed of 10 partners from all over Europe:
Contact
PROJECT COORDINATORS
Riccardo Battisti and Chiara Lazzari, Ambiente Italia S.r.l.
riccardo.battisti@ambienteitalia.it; chiara.lazzari@ambienteitalia.it
PRESS AND MEDIA INQUIRIES
Martin Stroleny, Euroheat & Power AISBL
ms@euroheat.org
