Energy independence: how large-scale solar heat frees European cities from fossil fuels

Energy independence: how large-scale solar heat frees European cities from fossil fuels

Solar Heat Europe, in cooperation with Austria Solar and Svensk Solenergi, is organising an online workshop addressing energy independence and solar district heating, that will take place on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, from 14:30 to 16:00 under the umbrella of the European Week of Regions and Cities.

The energy crisis and the dramatic war have shown a long-time known problem that has not been properly tackled: EU’s energy security. In addition, climate change effects are still valid threats to humanity and with every moment of inaction, the situation will only worsen. The session aims to channel this discussion at the local level: How can European cities reduce their dependency on imported fossil fuels while moving towards the green transition at the same time?

One of the answers is the faster deployment of already available solutions like big solar heat applications. Deploying more renewables is acknowledged as a solution by everyone, from the public and private sector to civil society, and still, the process has not been fast enough. With heat representing 50% of the energy consumption, this session will focus on heat decarbonisation with decentralised solutions such as solar district heating, highlighting what cities need to accelerate their implementation.

Today, there are over 200 large-scale solar heat plants providing direct renewable heat to European cities, and the growing trend of such systems in the market is foreseen to continue in the future. We aim to identify successful examples from Austria and Sweden, which are already contributing to energy security and carbon neutrality goals, and explore how they can be replicated faster.

About the EU Regions Week:

The European Week of Regions and Cities 2022 is the biggest annual Brussels-based event dedicated to cohesion policy bringing together regions and cities from all over Europe, including politicians, administrators, experts, and academics.

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