Following the 2015 Paris agreements, many nations worldwide have set various greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and pledged full energy systems decarbonization within a few decades from now. Specifically heat, particularly in the industrial and domestic sectors, is the world’s largest energy end use, accounting for almost half of our global energy consumption, exceeding electricity and transport, and contributing more than 40 % of global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2020. However, the generation of heat is still heavily fossil fuel reliant, with a mere 11 % global share of renewable heat in 2020.
Heat decarbonization is therefore crucial for achieving carbon neutrality. In particular, coordinated strategies and pathways to a resilient and decarbonized heat sector are needed at a national level for the efficient implementation of renewable heat systems, and optimal distribution and use of resources including energy storage and the generation and transmission of low-carbon electricity and heat.
The decarbonization of the industrial and domestic heat sectors requires cross-disciplinary coordination with elements of technical design and implementation, economics, social engagement, awareness and acceptance, and national strategies, policies, and regulations. The goal of this special issue is to address each one of these elements to establish potential pathways to heat decarbonization at a national level and identify the key barriers and challenges as well as potential solutions to overcome them.
In particular, the establishment of renewable heat networks from a techno-economic feasibility viewpoint and with the implementation of national strategies and policies is of special interest, for example with a focus on the role of large-scale energy storage, renewables integration, and the efficient use and distribution of resources for the provision of benefits to the wider energy system such as curtailment mitigation, demand-side response, flexibility or other grid services, and the reduction of fuel poverty.
This special issue welcomes all original research manuscripts related to the topic of heat decarbonization as defined above, with technical, economic, social, or policy considerations. Example themes include, but are not limited to:
- The decarbonization of domestic and industrial heat
- Pathways to heat decarbonization: techno-economics, coordinated strategies, and policies at a national level
- Renewable heat networks: design, implementation, economics and resilience
- Implementation at a local level: engaging local communities and authorities
- Social awareness and acceptance of renewable heat
- Smart and efficient use and distribution of resources for heat decarbonization
- The role of energy storage in heat decarbonization
- High-level energy systems modeling
- Heat networks and benefits to the wider energy system such as renewable integration, curtailment mitigation, demand-side response, flexibility, and other grid services, or reduction of fuel poverty.
Keywords:
Heat decarbonisation, Sustainable heat networks, Energy storage, Energy systems modelling, Systems benefits, Supply and demand-side flexibility, Techno-economic and social analysis, Coordinated strategies and policies
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Following the 2015 Paris agreements, many nations worldwide have set various greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and pledged full energy systems decarbonization within a few decades from now. Specifically heat, particularly in the industrial and domestic sectors, is the world’s largest energy end use, accounting for almost half of our global energy consumption, exceeding electricity and transport, and contributing more than 40 % of global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2020. However, the generation of heat is still heavily fossil fuel reliant, with a mere 11 % global share of renewable heat in 2020.
Heat decarbonization is therefore crucial for achieving carbon neutrality. In particular, coordinated strategies and pathways to a resilient and decarbonized heat sector are needed at a national level for the efficient implementation of renewable heat systems, and optimal distribution and use of resources including energy storage and the generation and transmission of low-carbon electricity and heat.
The decarbonization of the industrial and domestic heat sectors requires cross-disciplinary coordination with elements of technical design and implementation, economics, social engagement, awareness and acceptance, and national strategies, policies, and regulations. The goal of this special issue is to address each one of these elements to establish potential pathways to heat decarbonization at a national level and identify the key barriers and challenges as well as potential solutions to overcome them.
In particular, the establishment of renewable heat networks from a techno-economic feasibility viewpoint and with the implementation of national strategies and policies is of special interest, for example with a focus on the role of large-scale energy storage, renewables integration, and the efficient use and distribution of resources for the provision of benefits to the wider energy system such as curtailment mitigation, demand-side response, flexibility or other grid services, and the reduction of fuel poverty.
This special issue welcomes all original research manuscripts related to the topic of heat decarbonization as defined above, with technical, economic, social, or policy considerations. Example themes include, but are not limited to:
- The decarbonization of domestic and industrial heat
- Pathways to heat decarbonization: techno-economics, coordinated strategies, and policies at a national level
- Renewable heat networks: design, implementation, economics and resilience
- Implementation at a local level: engaging local communities and authorities
- Social awareness and acceptance of renewable heat
- Smart and efficient use and distribution of resources for heat decarbonization
- The role of energy storage in heat decarbonization
- High-level energy systems modeling
- Heat networks and benefits to the wider energy system such as renewable integration, curtailment mitigation, demand-side response, flexibility, and other grid services, or reduction of fuel poverty.
Keywords:
Heat decarbonisation, Sustainable heat networks, Energy storage, Energy systems modelling, Systems benefits, Supply and demand-side flexibility, Techno-economic and social analysis, Coordinated strategies and policies
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.