On 16 February 2016, the European Commission published a new strategy how to lower the amount of energy used to heat and cool buildings, including households, offices, hospitals, schools, industry and food refrigeration throughout the supply chain.
The European Commission estimates that heating and cooling consume half of the energy used in Europe, and even 68% of gas imported to the EU. On the other hand, the share of renewables in the overall energy consumption used for heating and cooling is still below expectations.
The strategy tackles many issues and could bring changes for many industries. For instance, new guidelines and rules for renovation of buildings may be of particular interest to the construction sector. They may impact state-of-the-art technology used in construction industry, as it will have to comply with higher standards in respect of cooling and heating and energy use. Furthermore, the new EU strategy intends to integrate much more effectively local electricity systems with heating and cooling systems and appliances. The EU heating and cooling strategy is a part of the Energy Union, and will be followed by set of implementing legal instruments in the coming months.