European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling

What we do

About us

We bring together stakeholders from the biomass, geothermal, solar thermal and heat pump sectors to define a common strategy for increasing the use of renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling.

Challenges

Our Horizontal Working Groups bring together interested experts from different technology panels to work on common horizontal topics, defined on the basis of main challenges to be addressed by the RHC-sector.

More about us

Technology Panels
Pool of experts
Horizontal Working Groups

News

All news
IWG5 online tool to evaluate and compare energy efficient renovation options for buildings News - 5 September 2024
IWG5 online tool to evaluate and compare energy efficient renovation options for buildings
Read more
Hot Topics, Cool Insights: A talk with CEOs from the renewable energy world! – Episode 11 News - 13 September 2024
Hot Topics, Cool Insights: A talk with CEOs from the renewable energy world! – Episode 11
Read more

Events

All events
28 Nov 2024
Swedish Perspectives on the Renewable Heating and Cooling Market
Online
View event
05 Nov 07 Nov 2024
Smart City Expo World Congress 2024
Barcelona, Spain
View event

Publications

All publications
D5.2 Report on major market trends: RHC customer perspectives Download
Critique of draft NECPS 2023 Download
D3.4 Initial report on policy and regulatory issues relevant for research & innovation in the heating and cooling sector Download
D1.4 Project Management Plan Download
Submit your project

Projects

All projects
Year-Round, Fire-Safe, and Sustainable Solar Management Materials
Timeline Funding programme

Temperature regulation in buildings and spaces constitutes a significant portion of global energy consumption and CO2 emissions. While solar thermal conversion and passive radiation cooling offer potential for energy-efficient temperature control, they encounter challenges in adapting to changing climates year-round. Ensuring high fire safety and sustainable functionality is imperative. Supported by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the SOLAR-MATER project aims to address these challenges by developing year-round, fire-safe, and sustainable solar management materials using thermochromic microcapsules (TCMs), biomass flame-retardant chain extenders, and solvent-free polymer coating technology. The project necessitates expertise in polymer chemistry, fire-retardant materials, solar energy, and radiation cooling, and aligns with the EU’s Sustainable Development Goals and European Green Deal policies.

View project
Shaping the future of flexible geothermal energy
Timeline Funding programme

The European Research project FlexGeo will develop and demonstrate innovative geothermal energy system designs for maximized system performance and flexibility. Within the project, a major focus will lie on the worldwide first demonstration of a reversible 200 kWel modular Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) / high-temperature heat pump (HTHP) system on a TRL 7 level. In addition, advanced control strategies for district heating and cooling networks (DHCN) are developed and demonstrated.

View project
Identifying and interpreting underground conditions in Southern European countries for thermal storage through Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage systems
Timeline Funding programme

Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems offer a variety of benefits for building heating and cooling through thermal energy storage, providing a promising solution for the needs of Southern European Union Member (SEUM) states. The challenges caused by groundwater fluctuations, complex legislation, and climate change impacts can significantly reduce their effectiveness. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the ATES-SEUM project aims to address the need for further study on the efficacy and efficiency of ATES in SEUM states and to develop a methodology for assessing ATES system potential. To achieve this, it will collaborate with Delft University of Technology and the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute and will feature knowledge sharing with Italy and Greece.

View project