Periodic Reporting for period 2 - HACKS (Heating And Cooling Know-how and Solutions)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-04-01 bis 2023-02-28
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However, consumers in most cases are unaware that their HAC equipment is outdated and that it needs to be replaced, that the economic benefits and their monetization (cost saving, payback periods, demand response) and environmental benefits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 easily get 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 was 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 easily get 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 was 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 and promoted over three years and a half:
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. Both criteria papers and best product lists were regularly updated to reflect market progresses and legislative updates.
3) A “HACKS Catalogue of Key Information Topics” introduced the concepts of comfort and air quality and provided 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 undertook continuous national BAT product research – because there are differences in performance across European countries – and tailored the above information to their national market.
Hence 15 HACKS websites were developed on-line, and promoted thanks to 15 national outreach campaigns which encompassed activities and tools directly addressed to consumers, including: media outreach (print, digital, etc.), energy calculators helping to evaluate individual heating and cooling systems, prize competitions and raffles, rebate overview for HAC products, deep links towards BAT products, links towards certified installers, cooperation with consumer organisations, etc.
Between September 2019 and end of February 2023, despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic and energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine affecting the project, 70 million listeners, readers and viewers were reached with information on HACKS, and HACKS-related content on partner websites reached 2.6 Mio page views.
5) Thanks to specific outreach campaigns, 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. The HACKS teams managed to reach 245 partnerships with multipliers and to produce 94 policy recommendations for decision makers at European and National 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. Both criteria papers and best product lists were regularly updated to reflect market progresses and legislative updates.
3) A “HACKS Catalogue of Key Information Topics” introduced the concepts of comfort and air quality and provided 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 undertook continuous national BAT product research – because there are differences in performance across European countries – and tailored the above information to their national market.
Hence 15 HACKS websites were developed on-line, and promoted thanks to 15 national outreach campaigns which encompassed activities and tools directly addressed to consumers, including: media outreach (print, digital, etc.), energy calculators helping to evaluate individual heating and cooling systems, prize competitions and raffles, rebate overview for HAC products, deep links towards BAT products, links towards certified installers, cooperation with consumer organisations, etc.
Between September 2019 and end of February 2023, despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic and energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine affecting the project, 70 million listeners, readers and viewers were reached with information on HACKS, and HACKS-related content on partner websites reached 2.6 Mio page views.
5) Thanks to specific outreach campaigns, 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. The HACKS teams managed to reach 245 partnerships with multipliers and to produce 94 policy recommendations for decision makers at European and National levels.
The project included an evaluation task based on several indicators monitored all along the project. At the qualitative level, 32 case studies were produced and 64 stakeholders’ interviews were gathered, illustrating how the HACKS project motivated and impacted its various target groups. At the quantitative level, given the number of involved consumers (through the page views, the media contacts, and activities engaging them directly), the number of manufacturers approached, and the reached partnerships, the calculated primary energy savings sum up to 1,186.4 GWh and 237,276 tCO2.
Beyond these numbers, HACKS was able to:
- Promote best appliances and produce benchmarks for 8 HAC product categories, underlining and triggering market progresses.
- Provide concrete advice for low- and no-cost measures improving comfort and lowering energy bills.
- Reach out to consumers and key stakeholders with this information.
Beyond these numbers, HACKS was able to:
- Promote best appliances and produce benchmarks for 8 HAC product categories, underlining and triggering market progresses.
- Provide concrete advice for low- and no-cost measures improving comfort and lowering energy bills.
- Reach out to consumers and key stakeholders with this information.