Sharing heating infrastructure on the basis of energy cooperatives can be a solution for decarbonising a significant part of residential buildings in cities. Heat supply accounts for a significant part of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in cities. At the same time, many buildings are equipped with single-storey gas-fired boilers, which are unsustainable to operate in the longer term with the rising carbon price and the shift away from natural gas.
Energy communities, a newly enacted form of collective ownership and management of energy resources that brings together individuals, communities and businesses to achieve common goals of sharing renewable electricity, are beginning to gain traction in the country this year. This innovative approach involves the application of the sharing model to the heat sector, which includes not only generation and distribution, but also the implementation of technologies to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.
Building new shared heat management in apartment buildings is financially and organizationally demanding. A joint approach within an energy community offers the opportunity to overcome high transaction costs of building new technology in an existing development where each apartment operates its own gas boiler. Testing this approach is the aim of the HeatCOOP project aimed at creating energy cooperatives for decarbonising heat in urban neighbourhoods. In doing so, it builds on the Positive Energy Districts (PED) Transition concept. Testing in the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia will focus on smaller sites or groups of buildings.
Successful implementations of this model can inspire other cities seeking to decarbonise their energy systems. Energy cooperatives can provide a flexible and efficient solution that combines technical innovation with community participation and sustainability. One key opportunity is to increase the energy autonomy of local communities. By jointly owning and managing energy resources, communities can reduce their dependence on energy suppliers and increase their energy security. In addition, energy cooperatives can create new jobs and support the local economy through investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
