ESCALATE: Supporting local authorities in developing renewable heating and cooling plans

The ESCALATE project focuses on improving heating and cooling plans to facilitate a clean energy transition in medium-sized local communities. By developing effective methodologies and organising targeted training programs to strengthen local capacities, the project emphasises the role of regional energy agencies.

Regional energy agencies: key players in decarbonisation

Buildings, through the heating and cooling of spaces and water, account for a significant portion of final energy consumption. Decarbonising heating and cooling is therefore crucial to achieving the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

To meet this challenge, the revised RED III Directive on renewable energy requires municipalities with more than 45,000 inhabitants to develop local heating and cooling plans. As these municipalities often lack the necessary technical and financial resources, the European Union recognises regional energy agencies as key facilitators in promoting a clean energy transition.

From training to support and dissemination

With the aim of developing an effective heating and cooling planning methodology that facilitates the clean energy transition of medium-sized administrations, the project will include:

  1. The creation of a training program to develop local heating and cooling plans.
  2. Training of regional energy agencies to become effective heating and cooling planners.
  3. The development of local heating and cooling plans with local authorities and feedback on capacity building.
  4. The transfer of the skills acquired by the agencies to other agencies.
  5. The dissemination of knowledge to a network of stakeholders, raising awareness of the training offer.

The contributions of ESCALATE at the regional level

In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, more than 236 heating networks, providing 69% renewable heat, are in place, helping to reduce CO2 emissions. The Regional Planning, Sustainable Development and Territorial Equality Scheme (SRADDET) aims to multiply by 5 the production of renewable heating and cooling by 2030, with the financial support of ADEME (The French Agency for Ecological Transition) and energy saving certificates (EEC).

The ESCALATE project is a lever for acting in favour of regional policy, through the various actions carried out by AURA-EE:

  • Development of a heating and cooling planning methodology considering the energy market and the legislative framework in France.
  • Establishment of regional support structures and an online training platform for capacity building in heating and cooling planning.
  • Positioning of TerriSTORY® as an energy planning tool for renewable heating and cooling.
  • Work in complementarity with national (FCU, Enrezo) and local (Simaginer, PROSPER) tools, in partnership with the national urban heating network resource centre (RCU) of AMORCE and in collaboration with Vía Sèva, an association specialising in heating and cooling networks.
  • Formulation of recommendations at national level for the integration of the RED III Renewable Energy Directive into French legislation.

The eleven partners in Europe

 

[Updated : October 2024]