Negotiations on new provisions of the Energy Efficiency Directive concluded in July. The reinforced goal is to reduce the EU’s final energy consumption by 11.7% by 2030. The regulations also focus on local heating and cooling plans and a gradual tightening of requirements to create zero-emission heating and cooling networks by 2050.
The proposal to amend the Energy Efficiency Directive stems from the July 2021 “Fit for 55” package. The main goal of the package and its proposed legislative changes is to align the EU’s regulatory framework to achieve a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 55% by 2030 and to achieve neutrality by 2050.
The European Union wants to ensure that member states collectively achieve a reduction in final energy consumption of at least 11.7% by the end of the decade compared to energy consumption projections in 2030 made in 2020. The new target reinforces the one from July 2021, which called for a 9% reduction in final energy consumption.
This translates directly into an increase in the annual savings rate, which was previously 0.8%. Currently, all EU member states are required to achieve a rate of 1.49% between 2024 and 2030. This includes critical sectors such as construction, industry, and transportation.
EED directive – impact on the heating sector
One of the directive’s focus areas is local efficient heating and cooling plans. Energy efficiency measures are expected to have a direct impact on improving urban air quality by reducing the need for emission-intensive heating fuels.
Member states must develop policy measures to meet their energy-saving obligations while adhering to EU climate and environmental priorities. The directive is intended to mobilize the spending of public funds exclusively on forward-looking and sustainable technologies in line with the long-term goal of carbon neutrality, including reducing heating demand and covering the remaining demand with carbon-free energy sources.
What is the efficient heating and cooling system – definition
According to the updated definition, to ensure more efficient energy consumption and increase the share of renewable energy in the supply of heating and cooling to the grid, an efficient heating and cooling system will have to meet the following criteria:
- until 31 December 2027, a system using at least 50% renewable energy, 50% waste heat, 75% cogenerated heat, or 50% of a combination of such energy and heat;
- from 1 January 2028, a system using at least 50% renewable energy, 50% waste heat, 50% renewable energy and waste heat, 80% of high-efficiency cogenerated heat or at least a combination of such thermal energy going into the network where the share of renewable energy is at least 5% and the total share of renewable energy, waste heat or high-efficiency cogenerated heat is at least 50%;
- from 1 January 2035, a system using at least 50 % renewable energy, 50% waste heat, or 50% renewable energy and waste heat, or a system where the total share of renewable energy, waste heat, or high-efficiency cogenerated heat is at least 80% and in addition the total share of renewable energy or waste heat is at least 35%;
- from 1 January 2040, a system using at least 75% renewable energy, 75% waste heat, or 75% renewable energy and waste heat, or a system using at least 95% renewable energy, waste heat, and high-efficiency cogenerated heat and in addition, the total share of renewable energy or waste heat is at least 35%;
- from 1 January 2045, a system using at least 75% renewable energy, 75% waste heat, or 75% renewable energy and waste heat;
- from 1 January 2050, a system using only renewable energy, only waste heat, or only a combination of renewable energy and waste heat.
Member states may also choose alternatives to the above based on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the heating and cooling system per unit of heat. As the directive indicates, in choosing these criteria, an efficient heating and cooling system must meet the following maximum amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of heat or cooling supplied:
- by December 31, 2025: 200 grams/kWh;
- as of January 1, 2026: 150 grams/kWh;
- as of January 1, 2035: 100 grams/kWh;
- as of January 1, 2045: 50 grams/kWh;
- as of January 1, 2050: 0 grams/kWh.
Hydrogen boiler – does hydrogen address the directive’s requirements?
The need to replace conventional heating equipment is therefore inevitable. There is also a growing need for solutions that are not short-term, but those where strategic investments will ensure compliance both in the next few years and ultimately in the future. Such a guarantee is provided by hydrogen, which has several times higher energy density per unit mass compared to hydrocarbon fuels and ensures emission-free combustion, in which the only products are energy and water.
Therefore, at SES Hydrogen Energy, we are focusing on the development of a zero-emission hydrogen boiler for medium- and large-scale applications in district heating, industry, and residential heating hubs, which uses hydrogen and pure oxygen substrates in the combustion process.
We were the first in Poland to successfully carry out functional tests of the device and are moving toward its commercial implementation. The hydrogen boiler under development will be characterized by the absence of CO2, NOx, SOx, dust, and flue gas emissions. In the case of integrating a source of hydrogen and oxygen in the form of an electrolyzer and a hydrogen boiler within a single investment, it will be possible to supply fuel and oxidizer produced using energy from RES farms.
The hydrogen fuel boiler is the future of the heating industry, thanks to the realization of the need for emission-free heat. It will guarantee a shift away from the use of hydrocarbon fuels, ensuring the security of heat supply in situations of fuel market crises and raw material import barriers.
