About us

100% RE Districts

Chair of HWG: Giorgio Bonvicini, RINA Consulting

Vice-chair: Tomislav Novosel, REGEA

Members of the HWG: 31

The focus and mission of the 100% RE Districts HWG:

Heating & cooling and hot water preparation account for over half of the energy demand in buildings. Paired with an increasing urbanization rate, this demand defines one of the key challenges of the energy transition in Europe (and beyond).

How to decarbonize heating & cooling in urban districts includes actually a cluster of challenges, e.g.:

  • Refurbishment rates of buildings and replacement rates of fossil fuel heating systems are low;
  • Fossil fuel prices are generally low, also due to direct and indirect subsidies;
  • Space for harvesting and storing locally available energy is sometimes limited;
  • Ownership structures are often highly diverse and responsibilities are unclear.

At the same time, urban districts come with a number of opportunities:

  • Dense population allows for the use of community schemes such as DHC and citizen-led energy projects like energy communities and positive energy districts;
  • DHC allows for harvesting of locally available otherwise unused sources, and where DHC is not possible other technologies can fill the gap;
  • Cities and municipal companies as well as large building owners can start the necessary steps.

The group works in close collaboration with the other HWGs and focuses specifically on all solutions implemented at district level (thus not on single buildings or at entire city level), covering technological aspects but also social, economic and governance-related facets.

Some of the topics of interest of the HWG include:

  • New district heating & cooling systems;
  • Refurbishment of existing district heating & cooling systems;
  • Low-carbon urban sources for heating & cooling;
  • Individual heating & cooling solutions, if planned at district level;
  • Positive energy districts & energy communities;
  • Integrated district-level refurbishment;
  • Governance of districts according to ESG principles;
  • Economics and markets of and for RES DHC;
  • Toolboxes and stakeholder support;
  • Policy developments.

The HWG meets regularly via web meetings, and physical meetings.

Publications