ConnectHeat

Community engagement for clean heat

ConnectHeat project launched to unlock the potential of Energy Communities in Heating and Cooling


Energy Agency of Plovdiv is among the partners of the ConnectHeat project, that 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. Its full name is Community engagement for clean heat.

The ConnectHeat project kicked off in October to accelerate the decarbonisation of heating and cooling through an EU-wide implementation of citizen-led and energy community initiatives.

In a number of European countries, energy communities have been an active part of the transformation process of their energy systems for years. In Bulgaria, the construction of a legal framework for their establishment and functioning is going to be laid down. As a concept, the energy community represents an association of citizens, municipalities, institutions and companies with the aim of producing energy from renewable energy sources that will serve for the community needs.

“Even though community energy is a proved and effective approach to foster green energy transition, unfortunately its potential remains untapped in the heating and cooling sector. ConnectHeat is the first European initiative to develop heating and cooling communities in Europe, putting public authorities and citizens at the heart of energy transitions’’ 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.

In Bulgaria, energy communities already exist and use renewable sources to produce thermal energy for their own consumption. An example of such a community is the association of owners of a heated multi-family residential building, who, in order to reduce energy costs, have invested in the construction of a solar installation for the pre-heating of domestic hot water, before its inclusion in the subscriber station.

Coordinated by Ambiente Italia, the ConnectHeat multidisciplinary consortium is composed of 10 partners from all over Europe:


• Ambiente Italia S.r.l. (Italy)

• Regionalna energetska agencija sjeverozapadne Hrvatske (Croatia)

• Fédération européenne des agences et des régions pour l'énergie et l'environnement (Belgium)

• Steinbeis Innovation gGmbH (Germany)

• Euroheat & Power AISBL (Belgium)

• Agenzia per l'Energia del Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)

• Energy Agency of Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

• Intercommunale Leiedal (Belgium)

• Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, S.A. (Spain)

• Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Oeste – Oeste Sustentável (Portugal)

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


ConnectHeat website: www.connectheat.ambienteitalia.it/

Energy Agency of Plovdiv

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Latest News and Events ConnectHeat

  • Image Energy Agency of Plovdiv is among the members of the Energy Community Gabrovo

    On January 15, the municipality of Gabrovo announced the setting-up of the first energy community (EC) in Bulgaria, and on March 15, the first official meeting of the members of EC Gabrovo - Regional Non-Hazardous Waste Landfill was held. A total of 73 participants were recruited: 31 from Gabrovo and the region, and the rest from other country regions. Among the members of EC Gabrovo is the Energy Agency of Plovdiv. All affiliated members of the Energy Community Gabrovo are united by the idea of being part of an innovative green approach based on RES technologies to provide clean energy. 175 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the Regional Non-Hazardous Waste Landfill Gabrovo. The greater part of the generated energy will supply the needs of the Landfill itself, and the rest will be used for other municipal facilities. The total installed capacity of the PV plant will be 99.55 kWp.



    Read more
    Date:  08:56 19-03-2024
  • Image Croatia will launch the first Energy Community Gateway under EU Project Shares

    The ConnectHeat initiative will play an integral role in this endeavor, leveraging the platform to foster collaboration and ensure widespread awareness about the concept of energy communities. This visionary project is a joint effort with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, aligning with REGEA’s commitment to three European projects dedicated to civic energy and energy communities.



    Read more
    Date:  09:18 14-11-2023
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