Europe-wide facility supports cities’ energy planning

The EU-funded ActIonHeat project has launched its second Europe-wide call for applications from all local energy planners interested in receiving support to set up or improve their heating and cooling (H&C) infrastructure. This call comes at a time when the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine has led cities across Europe in search of ways to diversify their energy supply, transition to renewable alternatives and provide citizens with more affordable options.

However, strategic H&C planning requires special know-how, resources and experience that not all municipalities possess. The Act!onHeat Support Facility provides valuable support through specific tools and assistance for municipalities aiming to start, improve or complete their district H&C planning.Launched in March 2022, the Support Facility is already providing guidance to energy planners from municipalities across Europe. As reported in a news item posted on the ‘Act!onHeat’ website, its support services include “the development of guidelines in tendering services for H&C planning; targeted support on dealing with data, e.g. how to set up a cadastre for industrial excess heat; and in-depth analysis on an Act!onHeat case study on setting up a business case for the development of a district heating network.”

Applicants can choose from two different modules to request support. The ‘H&C transition strategy development’ module focuses on: renovation strategies for building stock and H&C strategies for the city or region; inventory and potentials; zoning; and scenarios for H&C at local level for individual supply and for district H&C. The ‘Project Feasibility’ module focuses on the development of techno-economic pre-feasibility studies for localised H&C projects, with the potential to include a subsequent assessment of financial and governance options for selected applicants only.

As noted in the news item, applicants will be chosen “based on their ambition, interest, and needs.” Furthermore, after the relationship has been established, “clustered and individual advice will be given on planning, pre-feasibility … and finance. Specifically, applicants will gain exclusive access and insight to the H&C planning software Hotmaps and THERMOS, which can be used for their local energy transition.”

Overall, the Act!onHeat Support Facility will support up to 120 municipalities. This will include 30 pre-feasibility studies for individual projects within the municipalities and additional performance analysis and assessment of financing options for 15 projects.

The call for applicants is open until 31 December 2022 via EUSurvey. Guidelines and selection criteria are available on the project website. Those interested in applying but out of time to complete the full application can submit an Expression of Interest form with the basic details. The ActIonHeat (From heating and cooling strategies to action: how public authorities can strategically plan the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector and initiate impactful projects) project ends in May 2024.

For more information, please see:

ActIonHeat project website