About

The European Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan – proposed by the European Commission in order to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon energy technologies – recognises the essential role of renewable energy sources for heating and cooling as a part of the EU’s strategy to improve the security of the energy supplies and to foster a competitive edge in the related highly innovative industries.

The European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC-ETIP) brings together stakeholders from the biomass, geothermal, solar thermal and heat pump sectors – including the related industries such as district heating and cooling, thermal energy storage, and hybrid systems – to define a common strategy for increasing the use of renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling.

Building on the experience matured since 2005 within the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP), now incorporated in the RHC-Platform, five major European organisations – EUREC, Bioenergy Europe (formerly known as AEBIOM), EGEC, Solar Heat Europe (formerly known as ESTIF) and EHPA – are leading the process towards the definition of a joint Vision and Strategic Research Agenda for the renewable heating and cooling sector.

Mission

Renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling are safe, clean, efficient and increasingly cost-competitive. The European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling, officially endorsed by the European Commission since October 2008, aims at playing a decisive role in maximising synergies and strengthening efforts towards research, development and technological innovation which will consolidate Europe’s leading position in the sector. As a result, the whole society will benefit from the increasing contribution of renewable heating and cooling to the European Union’s 20/20/20 targets by 2020.

The European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC-Platform) became a European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP) on 26 January 2016.

The Board of the RHC-ETIP met at the EUREC premises on the date and unanimously agreed that the Platform, as it currently is, respects the points addressed by the European Commission (EC) in the document “New SET-Plan governance structure” and will therefore be called, from this day on, an ETIP.

In the document, the European Commission defines ETIPs as “structures gathering all the relevant stakeholders, with arrangements for cooperative discussions with Members States and Associated Countries (MS/ACs) and the Commission services. Their main role is to provide strategic advice to MS/ACs and the EC on all issues relevant to progressing their R&I efforts, building on consensus among their stakeholders”.

The ETIPs are foreseen to be a continuation of European Technology Platforms (ETPs) and European Industrial Initiatives (EIIs) in a single platform with the freedom to organise themselves as they see fit. They will continue to be the recognised interlocutor for the EC/MS/ACs about sector specific R&I’s needs.

New working arrangements are established. The new element would also foresee arrangements for involvement of representatives of the interested MS/AC’s. In addition, developing working relationships with the relevant national/regional platforms addressing public and/or industrial priorities will become essential to ensure synergies between EU and national/regional activities.

For their work related to the SET Plan, these ETIPs are expected to focus on the following:

• Upon request of the Steering Group, propose measures at EU and/or national levels (including regional level) and/or by industry that seek to achieve the specific SET Plan action in the areas of their activities;
• Continue to establish and update Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas per technology area, from basic research to market uptake, identifying priorities in the short, medium and long term, considering the relevant EERA Joint Programmes; discuss where appropriate with the experts from MS/AC’s and Commission services;
• Identify priorities of cross-cutting nature: e.g. education & training, socio-economics aspects, international cooperation;
• Identify innovation barriers, notably those related to regulation and financing;
• Report on the implementation of R&I activities at European, national and industrial levels in order to support the work of SETIS;
• Develop knowledge-sharing mechanisms that help bringing R&I results to deployment.

Partners:

• BIOENERGY EUROPE
• EUROPEAN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY COUNCIL
• EUROHEAT & POWER
• SOLAR HEAT EUROPE/EUROPEAN SOLAR THERMAL INDUSTRY FEDERATION
• EUROPEAN HEAT PUMP ASSOCIATION

Start date: 1/12/2018 - End date: 30/11/2021