RES-H Policy: Policy development for improving RES-H/C penetration in European Member States

Client: EEG TU-Wien - EU Commission

Background: The RES-H Policy project will assist Member State (MS) governments in preparing for the implementation of the forthcoming Directive on Renewables as far as RES-H/C related aspects are concerned. MS will be assisted in setting up national sector specific 2020/2030 RES-H/C targets. Moreover the project will initiate participatory National Policy Processes in which selected policy options to support RES-H/C will be qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. This will result in tailor made policy options and recommendations as to how to best design a support framework for increased RES-H/C penetration in the national heating and cooling markets of some selected MS (AT, GR, LT, NL, PL, UK) - countries that represent a variety in regard of the framework conditions for RES-H/C. On the European level a profound assessment of options for coordinating and harmonising national policy approaches will result in common design criteria for a general EU framework for RES-H/C policies and an overview of costs and benefits of different harmonised strategies.

Specific Objectives:
The overall aim of the RES-H Policy project is to develop sound policy recommendations and policy implementation strategies for instruments to stimulate RES-H/C market penetration. In detail the following objectives will be pursued:

1. Develop a concise policy background for the implementation of RES-H/C support instruments at Member State level.
2. Assist selected Member State governments in setting up national sector specific RES-H/C targets as required by the proposed RES Directive
3. Initiate participatory National Policy Processes in which selected policy options to support RES-H/C will be assessed; development of tailor made country specific policy recommendations as well as policy implementation guidelines (AT, GR, LT, NL, PL, UK).
4. Investigate options of coordination and harmonisation of national RES-H/C policy approaches.
5. Communicate and disseminate the project results to relevant stakeholder groups across the EU.

IREES GmbH has received a subcontract from the Energy Economics Group at the TU Vienna and has agreed to carry out model runs of selected Member States (GR, LT, NL, PL, UK) within WP4 of the RES-H Policy project, by using the Invert simulation tool in coordination with EEG and other project partners. This implies the following steps:

1. Implementation of data into the model
2. Calibration of the model based on historic and current development
3. Carry out model runs with different settings of policy instruments with exogenous boundary conditions (e.g. energy price scenarios)

Cooperation Partners and proposed implementation schedule: EEG TU Wien, ÖkoInstitut, Fraunhofer ISI, Karlsruhe. The project has been running from June 2009 and will end in May 2010.

Contact Person:
MBA & Dipl. Ing. Felipe Andrés Toro
Institute for Resource Efficiency and Energy Strategies GmbH
f.toro@irees.de