Clean Energy Wire
Summary
The building sector is one of the most polluting parts of the economy. In 2019, buildings across the world were responsible for one-fifth of the greenhouse gasses baking the planet — most of which came from the electricity and heat used to power them. But while the electricity used to run them is quickly getting cleaner, the heat is not. In the EU, where households spend three-quarters of their energy on warming rooms and water, most heat is directly produced by burning fossil fuels — gas (39%), oil (15%) and coal (4%).
But the technologies to heat cleanly are already here. Scientists have developed strategies to cut demand for energy and, at the same time, supply buildings with heat in ways that release fewer greenhouse gas emissions. How do the different solutions compare?
Experts broadly agree that the bulk of the remaining heating demand will be met by switching from fossil fuels to electricity, and connecting more buildings to district heating systems, which in turn would have to become cleaner. Most of the modelling that's been done suggests a minor role for other technologies, said Jan Rosenow, director of the clean energy think tank Regulatory Assistance Project. "I would say on the supply side it's heat pumps, district heating and solar thermal in that order — and then everything else."
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