RHC sector still requires dedicated policies in order to accelerate innovation in the EU

The Annual Event “Innovation in the Renewable Heating and Cooling sector” of the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC-ETIP) was successfully held on 20 June in Brussels, Belgium.

Over 50 experts attended the event at CENELEC with the aim to discuss the conditions to increase innovation in the renewable heating and cooling (RHC) sector in the European Union as well as the role of RHC technologies in the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan of the European Commission (EC).

“We are happy that both the EC and national governments have recognized that Europe won’t achieve its GHG goals without a strong contribution of the RHC sector. Only holistic solutions with a strong contribution of all energy sectors will allow the goals to be achieved”, said Mr Gerhard Stryi-Hipp, President of the RHC-ETIP. “However, despite the increased awareness, RHC industry and markets are still suffering from a lack of dedicated policy initiatives that are able to accelerate innovation and market deployment in the RHC sector”, he continued.

The Directorate General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission (DG RTD), represented in the event by Mr Piotr Tulej and Mr Piero de Bonis, highlighted the EC’s ambition for Europe to become the world number one in renewable energy. Several initiatives and strategic actions are in line with this ambition, such as the Energy Union and the legislative package of November 2016, which includes RHC topics. Also, the EC mentioned that the activities of SET Plan Temporary Working Group (TWG) on heating and cooling will kick-off next week and announced, that RHC has a great chance to benefit from the 2018-2020 Energy work programme of the Horizon 2020 Programme.

Download here the Press Release.