RHC ETIP’s 2021100% RHC Event: One step closer to climate-neutral heating and cooling in Europe
The European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling gathered 132 attendees and 17 high-level speakers during its annual conference, which took place online on the 28th October 2021.
8 November 2021 – The European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling – RHC ETIP’s annual conference was focused on innovation and the future of RHC technology, centring around the latest RHC ETIP’s publication: “Strategic Report on Implementation of Research and Innovation Priorities and Deployment Trends of the Renewable Heating and Cooling Technologies.”
The event was helmed by the master of ceremony Philippa Nuttall Jones, the environment and sustainability editor for the New Statesman. She guided participants through the sessions for the day, beginning with a keynote speech by RHC ETIP chair Marco Calderoni and the presentation of the Deployment and Innovation report by Andrej Mišech (EUREC).
The first panel session was moderated by Jack Corscadden (Euroheat & Power). Titled “State of the art and future of RHC sectors”, this panel involved representatives from two Horizontal Working Groups (100% RE Buildings and 100% RE Cities) and external expert Miika Rämä (VTT). Among other topics, the panellists stressed the importance of digitalisation of the RHC sector (such as through smart monitoring and sector coupling), adequate funding for practical RHC technologies and policies to support R&D in a strategic way.
The second panel discussion, moderated by Reghina Dimitrisina (EGEC), was focused on innovative technology developments in the RHC sector. Panellists included members from the remaining two Horizontal Working Groups (100% RE Industries and 100% RE Districts) as well as external speaker Giulia Zendron (White Research, W4RES). Zendron spoke about the impact and influence of women in renewable energy by introducing participants to W4RES, an EU-funded project aimed that increasing the involvement of women in the market deployment and uptake of RHC solutions.
Javier Urchueguía moderated the national roundtable “The Spanish Perspective.” Margarita de Gregorio (GEOPLAT & BIOPLAT), José Luis Corrales Ciganda (TECNALIA), Pascual Polo (ASIT), Ignacio Arenales Saul (ADHAC), and Alberto Ferradas (Ecoforest) joined the discussion about challenges and opportunities in the renewable heating and cooling sector in Spain.
In her closing remarks, Philippa Nuttall Jones highlighted the optimism of the day’s discussions, such as the maturity of RHC technologies, the ability to decarbonise, and the rise of new and innovative technologies. She highlighted the need to explain to the public the role and benefits of RHC in the decarbonisation process. She noted that the RHC ETIP report is a “step in the right direction” to move the debate forward and identify the potential in the RHC sector to policymakers and the public.
The recording and presentation of the event is available here.
All RHC ETIP publications, including the Strategic Report on Implementation of Research and Innovation Priorities and Deployment Trends of the Renewable Heating and Cooling Technologies, can be downloaded here on the website.
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Press contact: Anna Spoden, spoden@eurec.be