"As scientific evidence for the negative impacts of climate change has grown in the last years, the UN and the EU have both reacted with ambitious energy and climate policies - shifting energy production from fossils to renewables being a cornerstone. Yet, in stark contradiction to this absolute urgency, changes needed are not realised to the envisaged and sufficient extent. As a major driver to make the energy transition happen, engaged citizens and stakeholders are needed to form a necessary bottom-up critical mass supporting the top-down endeavours - respectively to set European and national targets – of policy and decision-makers. This engagement can be triggered and supported by integrating renewables in the classrooms today, equipping them with key competences and skills for a sustainable and secure energy supply of the future.Thus, the overall objective of the project was to develop a course for pupils aged 10 -14 on solar thermal energy, an important representative of renewable energy with underestimated future potential. It comprises high quality learning materials, combining theoretical background with all practical, technical, organisational, legal, and financial aspects of building a solar thermal installation – also hands-on setting up a solar thermal plant with two panels of 8 m2 each producing approx. 9.600 kWh of energy per year. With a hybrid learning approach, it will empower learners to actively engage in renewables. Teachers can lead children to the learning goals in building many different skills and competences: STEM, project management and stakeholder integration skills, reinforcing handcraft and strengthening their soft skills as well as their digital experiences applying dedicated tools within the course. Learning units forming together a complete program can also be used stand-alone separately in various settings adapting to specific needs to ensure the fit of the course for a maximum number of learners. Main activities of the project included creation of learning and teaching materials; development of ICT-tools needed, evaluation and fine-tuning. Dissemination was important for the consortium to stimulate broad uptake of our innovation by schools. We have implemented one training activity to pass on and evaluate the learning units in Austria. The Multiplier Events had to be conducted online due to the Covid situation. Four of the six consortium meetings of all project partners were held on site, status meetings were held remotely online on a monthly basis. The final results comprise:A Curriculum on solar thermal energy installation/ Implementation Guide (information on the realisation of Our Solartown projects/Guide for technicians (information about building processes, tools, materials, etc.).Theoretical learning units about the theoretical background on solar thermal energy including a broad interdisciplinary perspective plus one role play: 1. General introduction: LU 1_1_Energy sources, LU 1_2_Solar energy, LU 1_3_Climate change, Role play: RP 1_3_Greenhouse effect. 2. renewable energy production:, LU 2_Solar energy technologies. 3. Process aspects: LU 3_1_Site selection, LU 3_2_Solar-thermal systems_planning installation, LU 3_3_Solar-thermal system costs. 4. PR: LU 4_1_Public relations Practical learning units will give at hand technical knowledge on the plant construction, tutorial videos show the building steps and matching role plays give at hand know-how to communicate with the relevant stakeholders: 4. PR: LU 4_2_Solar newspaper. 5. Building a plant: LU 5_1_Practical realisation, LU 5_2_Presentation. 6. Excursions: LU 6_Excursions. Role plays: RP 3_1_Site selection, RP 3_2_Installation_pros and cons, RP 3_3_Financing a solar plant. Solar thermal energy planning tool: Climatological, technical, financial, social, and political aspects have to be considered in plant construction. A map based planning tool assists in finding the best site. Online process manual: The process manual accompanies a step-by-step guidance, provides additional information, space for uploading and documenting the project. The public view on the data is a directory of already existing locations and a competition feature for the award (O6). Award framework: The award framework consists of a reusable compilation to make learners’ achievements comparable and builds a perfect base for the recurring award event, promoting both the educational program and the solar thermal technology.Educational videos on Solar thermal energyOutputs furthermore include skilled teachers and learners, two completed solar thermal energy pilot projects and broad dissemination of projects’ results. Our project is designed to inspire, give orientation and empower. Due to their newly gained skills and competences our alumni can contribute to ""a more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy"" envisioned in the Europe 2020 strategy."

This proposal aims at supporting the work which has been carried out by the secretariat of the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling since 2011. The role of the secretariat is to assist the stakeholders of the RHC-ETIP in coordinating activities related to the definition and implementation of an innovation strategy to increase the use of renewable energy sources for heating and cooling, and to foster the growth and the market uptake of the relevant industries. The secretariat provides support to the structure of the RHC-ETIP, by organising meetings, events, and relevant consultations, and by assisting with the preparation of relevant documents (both of technical and of political nature) to raise the profile and importance of the renewable heating and cooling sector, and its related technologies. This proposal also addresses the need to enlarge the membership of the RHC-ETIP by involving more closely national policy makers, as well as other relevant stakeholders (related industries, and socio-economic experts) in its work. By supporting interactions between several stakeholders representing industry, research and academia, from different renewable heating and cooling technologies, and by gradually including complementary sectors and expertise, the SecRHC-ETIP will assist the RHC sector in strengthening its growth and competitiveness both vis-à-vis traditional heating and cooling technologies, as well as with respect to competitors coming from non-EU countries.

This proposal aims at supporting the work which has been carried out by the secretariat of the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling since 2009. The role of the secretariat is to assist the stakeholders of the RHC-ETIP in coordinating activities related to the implementation of a research and innovation strategy to increase the use of renewable energy sources for heating and cooling in line and supporting the targets set by the European Green Deal, as well as to foster the growth and the market uptake of the RHC technologies. The secretariat provides support to the structure of the RHC-ETIP, by organising meetings, events, and relevant consultations, and by assisting with the preparation of relevant documents (both of technical and of political nature) to raise the profile and importance of the renewable heating and cooling sector, and its related technologies. It also provides consensus-based strategic advice to the SET-Plan and will play an active role in the planned update of the SET-Plan in 2022. This proposal keeps the emphasis on the need to enlarge the membership of the RHC-ETIP by involving more closely policy makers and RHC stakeholders on the national level, as well as other relevant stakeholders (i.e. new markets for the H&C demand side, and socioeconomic experts) in its work. This proposal adds stronger emphasis on the RHC industry through establishment of RHC Accelerator and the development of the RHC industrial strategy. By supporting interactions between the many stakeholders representing industry, research and academia, from different renewable heating and cooling technologies, and by further inclusion of complementary sectors and expertise, the SecRHC-ETIP will assist the RHC sector in strengthening its growth and competitiveness both vis-à-vis traditional heating and cooling technologies, as well as with respect to other RES energies and competitors coming from non-EU countries.

The ‘Label Pack A+’ project aims at supporting the implementation of the energy labelling of heating appliances while boosting its impact, the focus being on the “package label” and its potential to push for the uptake or renewable technologies, in particular solar thermal, in combination with more efficient conventional technologies. The project will address one of the main challenges related to this particular energy labelling process in relation to other Energy-related Products : the issuing of the package label by installers. This challenge involves the preparation of the industry, retailers and installers to this process, including the communication to the final consumer. Therefore, the main objectives of the project are to: - Provide guidelines, as well as standardized answers to clarify the responsibility of each actor in the supply chain. These activities will, in particular, focus on installers and SMEs, who might be facing specific implementation challenges; -> Facilitate the exchange of product fiches and product related information on the format of equipment’s databases, available to all the actors in the energy labelling process; -> Apply the energy labelling calculation methodology and make it available to all the actors in the supply chain in the form of a user-friendly online calculation tool; -> Develop and provide industry specific training material, especially focusing on the responsibilities’ and roles of installers in the energy labelling process; -> Provide tailor-made information for end consumers, which will either be directly accessible by them, or used by dealers to explain the significance and added value of the “package label”; -> Provide consolidated expertise on the energy labelling process to the Commission and national authorities, based on the experiences gathered on the pilot implementation in the participating countries.