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Chaired by DENA, the recent REDI4Heat workshop offered a timely and comprehensive look at the evolving challenges and opportunities in aligning national strategies with EU heating and cooling regulations. With heating accounting for nearly half of the EU’s total energy demand, the event underscored the urgent need to decarbonise the sector—where the uptake of renewables still lags behind that of electricity.
Participants explored major legislative frameworks such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), alongside practical tools developed by the project, including the REDI4Heat Guidelines and the Heat Transition Toolbox. These resources are designed to support more effective planning and implementation at both national and local levels.
Case studies from Greece and Germany brought the discussion to life, highlighting varied yet ambitious national efforts to phase out fossil fuels, expand district heating networks, and make use of waste heat. Both countries pointed to common challenges—such as securing adequate financing, addressing workforce shortages, and bridging regulatory gaps—while expressing confidence in the potential of renewable technologies and integrated energy systems to drive progress.
The workshop made clear that advancing the clean heating transition will require stronger policy coordination, greater transparency, and deeper engagement with all relevant stakeholders. Above all, it reaffirmed the value of continued dialogue and cooperation among EU member states in meeting shared decarbonisation targets and delivering sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready heating solutions across Europe.
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