In this blog post, we would like to introduce you to the „HeatCOOP“ research project as part of the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) programme. Ella Jollands from e7 energy innovation & engineering briefly presents the project in this video:
The project aims to research and develop an innovative organisational model for decarbonising the heat supply in urban districts on the basis of heating cooperatives (HeatCOOP).
The project addresses the organisational, financial and legal challenges faced by building owners who want to decarbonise their neighbourhood. An organisational prototype will be developed based on the cooperative model that has proven its worth in Europe for more than 150 years. In this case, the innovative aspect is to bring together building owners and residents of a neighbourhood to form a heat cooperative („heat transition community“). In contrast to the current energy communities that focus on electricity, the high initial investment costs and co-ownership of the heat infrastructure pose a major challenge. To overcome these challenges, organisational and legal models as well as business and financial models are being developed.
HeatCOOPs offer a solution to the challenges that many city dwellers are currently facing: Climate change due to excessive CO2 emissions and dependence on fossil fuels by autocratic governments. By joining a HeatCoop, residents collectively reduce CO2 emissions and end dependence on fossil fuels while saving on energy costs. The concept of cooperation within the organisational, legal and financial framework of a heat cooperative becomes a key factor for participation in transformative processes.
The concepts and models that we are developing as part of the HeatCOOP project are being tested in three Living Labs in all participating countries: Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. Together with the citizens of each Living Lab, individual cooperatives for the heating infrastructure will be developed – based on templates. As we see a need and high market potential, we want to build on our findings and experience, refine and optimise the prototype and ultimately promote this concept at national and European level.
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