Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HACKS (Heating And Cooling Know-how and Solutions)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2019-09-01 do 2021-03-31
Space heating and water heating consume over 5,000 TWh/a, nearly 50% of the primary energy consumption of the EU and more than 50% of greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 eq. Space cooling equipment rates grew in the last years, due to climate conditions and comfort requests. Heating and Cooling (HAC) equipment are clearly an energy stake for the EU, especially since almost half of all buildings have individual boilers installed before 1992, with efficiency of 60% or less. For over 22% of individual gas boilers, 34% of direct electric heaters, 47% of oil boilers and 58% of coal boilers, the intended technical lifetime has been surpassed.
However, consumers in most cases are unaware that their HAC equipment is outdated and that it needs to be replaced, that the economic benefits and their monetization (cost saving, payback periods, demand response) and environmental benefits (improved air quality through a reduction of GHG and fine particles emissions, increased comfort) are very positive in the long-run and permanently reduce consumption.
Consumers are confused by the manifold information available on HAC equipment and alternative solutions. Since they are not specialists in the topic, they can get easily overwhelmed by the terminology used in the sector and may feel helpless. Even the recently introduced Energy Labels remain rather complex to understand. In addition, in the HAC sector, consumers depend heavily on third-parties (i.e. installers, retailers) for the selection, purchase and installation of new equipment. If an installer recommends a HAC product, it is very unlikely that consumers will challenge the general recommendation.
The overall objective of HACKS is to incite consumers to replace their old and inefficient equipment with new energy efficient equipment and solutions with the view of lowering their energy bill and improving their comfort and health environment. HACKS has developed a comprehensive strategy covering all key market actors, with three specific and mutually reinforcing objectives:
1. To raise awareness and inform consumers on HAC economic and environmental stakes, technologies and solutions.
2. To engage consumers and assist them in their choice and in the purchasing process of new HAC equipment.
3. To reinforce consumer action via the involvement of all relevant stakeholders participating in the product choice of consumers.
However, consumers in most cases are unaware that their HAC equipment is outdated and that it needs to be replaced, that the economic benefits and their monetization (cost saving, payback periods, demand response) and environmental benefits (improved air quality through a reduction of GHG and fine particles emissions, increased comfort) are very positive in the long-run and permanently reduce consumption.
Consumers are confused by the manifold information available on HAC equipment and alternative solutions. Since they are not specialists in the topic, they can get easily overwhelmed by the terminology used in the sector and may feel helpless. Even the recently introduced Energy Labels remain rather complex to understand. In addition, in the HAC sector, consumers depend heavily on third-parties (i.e. installers, retailers) for the selection, purchase and installation of new equipment. If an installer recommends a HAC product, it is very unlikely that consumers will challenge the general recommendation.
The overall objective of HACKS is to incite consumers to replace their old and inefficient equipment with new energy efficient equipment and solutions with the view of lowering their energy bill and improving their comfort and health environment. HACKS has developed a comprehensive strategy covering all key market actors, with three specific and mutually reinforcing objectives:
1. To raise awareness and inform consumers on HAC economic and environmental stakes, technologies and solutions.
2. To engage consumers and assist them in their choice and in the purchasing process of new HAC equipment.
3. To reinforce consumer action via the involvement of all relevant stakeholders participating in the product choice of consumers.
In order to provide the most adapted content for consumers, the 17 HACKS partners produced during the first half of the project:
1) A “HACKS base line report” in which each of the national teams mapped-out an overview for their country:
- The state of the art of heating and cooling technologies, policies and markets: local regulations, voluntary schemes or labels, rebates, tax incentives, replacement programmes
- The existing stock and installed technologies
- The market characteristics for HAC goods and services: key actors, market patterns
2) “HACKS Criteria papers” for 8 product groups, i.e. a detailed research on air conditioners, circulation pumps, comfort fans, local space heaters, solid fuel boilers, space heaters, water saving taps and shower heads and water heaters. Partners (and any reader) can find in these Criteria papers:
- An overview of the product’s role in buildings
- The current EU regulations and their expected impacts
- The proposed selection criteria for best products
- A brief technical overview
- A list of product characteristics that will be relevant for consumers
- How to find the data for this product category through market research
- Useful links, a glossary and a FAQ section gathering important topics for consumers
Lists of Best Available Technologies (BAT) products are designed for each product group, displayed on www.topten.eu and regularly updated.
3) A “HACKS Catalogue of Key Information Topics” that introduces the concepts of comfort and air quality and provides examples of solutions for reducing energy consumption while improving comfort and air quality:
- Contextual information on climate change, money savings, multiple benefits of the proposed solutions, examples of arguments to convince citizens that, whenever it can be, heating, hot water and cooling needs should be reduced.
- Advice for choosing highly efficient HAC equipment for a variety of heating and cooling systems: e.g. pros and cons of available technologies, choosing transmitters, tips for a good sizing of the equipment.
- Advice for using HAC equipment in an efficient way: e.g. maintain a convenient ambient temperature, check the tightness of the refrigeration circuit, use eco-labelled wood pellets, logs or chips.
4) Based on these three pillars, each partner undertakes continuous national BAT product research – because there are differences in performance across European countries - and tailors the above information to their national market.
Hence 15 HACKS websites are on-line, and promoted thanks to 15 national outreach campaigns which encompass activities and tools that are directly addressed to consumers, including: media outreach (print, digital, etc.), an energy calculator that helps evaluate individual heating systems, prize competitions and raffles, rebate overview for HAC products, deep links towards BAT products, links towards certified installers, cooperation with consumer organisations, etc.
Since the start of the project in September 2019 till its mid-term in March 2021, in a context that saw many HACKS activities delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, 7.65 million people have been reached with information on HACKS, and HACKS-related content on partner websites reached 1,019,208 page views.
5) Thanks to specific outreach campaign, attention was paid to key stakeholders called “multipliers” because they relay the HACKS’ messages to their own target groups. They cover: Retailers and installers, National authorities and decision makers responsible for policy design and the definition of financial incentives, Environmental and consumer NGOs, Utilities and housing associations, Universities and research centres, Professional and trade associations, Professional (private and public) buyers, etc. Since the start of the project in September 2019 till its mid-term in March 2021, partners managed to reach 162 partnerships with multipliers and have produced 53 policy recommendations to decision makers at various levels.
1) A “HACKS base line report” in which each of the national teams mapped-out an overview for their country:
- The state of the art of heating and cooling technologies, policies and markets: local regulations, voluntary schemes or labels, rebates, tax incentives, replacement programmes
- The existing stock and installed technologies
- The market characteristics for HAC goods and services: key actors, market patterns
2) “HACKS Criteria papers” for 8 product groups, i.e. a detailed research on air conditioners, circulation pumps, comfort fans, local space heaters, solid fuel boilers, space heaters, water saving taps and shower heads and water heaters. Partners (and any reader) can find in these Criteria papers:
- An overview of the product’s role in buildings
- The current EU regulations and their expected impacts
- The proposed selection criteria for best products
- A brief technical overview
- A list of product characteristics that will be relevant for consumers
- How to find the data for this product category through market research
- Useful links, a glossary and a FAQ section gathering important topics for consumers
Lists of Best Available Technologies (BAT) products are designed for each product group, displayed on www.topten.eu and regularly updated.
3) A “HACKS Catalogue of Key Information Topics” that introduces the concepts of comfort and air quality and provides examples of solutions for reducing energy consumption while improving comfort and air quality:
- Contextual information on climate change, money savings, multiple benefits of the proposed solutions, examples of arguments to convince citizens that, whenever it can be, heating, hot water and cooling needs should be reduced.
- Advice for choosing highly efficient HAC equipment for a variety of heating and cooling systems: e.g. pros and cons of available technologies, choosing transmitters, tips for a good sizing of the equipment.
- Advice for using HAC equipment in an efficient way: e.g. maintain a convenient ambient temperature, check the tightness of the refrigeration circuit, use eco-labelled wood pellets, logs or chips.
4) Based on these three pillars, each partner undertakes continuous national BAT product research – because there are differences in performance across European countries - and tailors the above information to their national market.
Hence 15 HACKS websites are on-line, and promoted thanks to 15 national outreach campaigns which encompass activities and tools that are directly addressed to consumers, including: media outreach (print, digital, etc.), an energy calculator that helps evaluate individual heating systems, prize competitions and raffles, rebate overview for HAC products, deep links towards BAT products, links towards certified installers, cooperation with consumer organisations, etc.
Since the start of the project in September 2019 till its mid-term in March 2021, in a context that saw many HACKS activities delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, 7.65 million people have been reached with information on HACKS, and HACKS-related content on partner websites reached 1,019,208 page views.
5) Thanks to specific outreach campaign, attention was paid to key stakeholders called “multipliers” because they relay the HACKS’ messages to their own target groups. They cover: Retailers and installers, National authorities and decision makers responsible for policy design and the definition of financial incentives, Environmental and consumer NGOs, Utilities and housing associations, Universities and research centres, Professional and trade associations, Professional (private and public) buyers, etc. Since the start of the project in September 2019 till its mid-term in March 2021, partners managed to reach 162 partnerships with multipliers and have produced 53 policy recommendations to decision makers at various levels.
The project includes an evaluation task planned for the end of the activities. However, the evaluation methodology was applied mid-term, using the first and partial results to check whether the project is on track compared to its objectives and performance indicators. At the qualitative level, 15 case studies were produced to illustrate how the HACKS project motivates and impacts its various target groups (stakeholders’ interviews and post project investigations on sustainability business models are planned for a later stage). At the quantitative level, if the trend would remain stable, the objective in terms of web traffic would be already reached, whereas 35% of the objective in terms of media contacts would be reached.
Given the number of manufacturers approached, of reached partnerships, and of involved consumers, the calculated primary energy savings related to the monitored project impacts in the reporting period September 2019 to March 2021 sum up to 613,5 GWh and 122,700 tCO2.
Given the number of manufacturers approached, of reached partnerships, and of involved consumers, the calculated primary energy savings related to the monitored project impacts in the reporting period September 2019 to March 2021 sum up to 613,5 GWh and 122,700 tCO2.