In episode 7, the team are joined by Alix Chambris and Brian Vad Mathiesen to discuss the potential pathways to decarbonise heating in Europe
The decarbonisation of the heating sector is subject to serious debate. With lots of potential options on the tables, choosing the correct pathway is difficult. Heat pumps, powered by renewables, seems to be the favoured option for the majority of Europe’s buildings, but their rollout is slow.
District heating and combined heat and power generation are proven alternatives, while the role of the incumbent natural gas is unclear. If it cannot be part of our energy future, is there an effective substitute?
In this week’s episode of Watt Matters, the team are joined by Alix Chambris, vice president of global public affairs and sustainability at Viessmann, a German manufacturer of heating and cooling systems, and Brian Vad Mathiesen, professor of smart energy systems at Aalborg University in Denmark.
We discuss the best ways to decarbonise heating, whether it is a good idea that green hydrogen technologies take on some of the heating demand and how the war in Ukraine is changing perceptions.
Listen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com
Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.
The bigger the pool of energy demand, the less the ripples in supply from renewable energy are felt. Special report part 2/3
A combination of low-carbon heating technologies and energy efficiency improvements is the obvious answer to decarbonise heating, says Jan Rosenow, Director of European programmes with the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
Denmark has led the way on decarbonisation of heating, with a rapid transition away from fossil fuels aided by its large scale adoption of heating networks over the past 40 years. Instead of exchanging individual heating appliances in every home and commercial building, the Danes are centrally converting their heat networks to renewable energy, saving citizens a pile of money in the process
Cities are taking the lead on the decarbonisation of district heating and cooling networks, with the use of heat pumps on the rise
Research demonstrates that demand management can create value for private customers and the power system
Charlotte Søndergren, head of heat planning for Danish HOFOR, questions whether collective heating is the best long-term solution for all countries or whether smaller, individual heat pumps offer a better alternative in some areas.
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