Heating and Cooling Community Energy Developer’s Blueprint
The Heating and Cooling (H&C) Community Energy Developer’s Blueprint provides practical steps for creating H&C communities, drawing on lessons from six ConnectHeat pilot cases. It shows that the emergence of such communities depends on both systemic factors, like EU and national frameworks, and local conditions that interact in complex ways.
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The Blueprint is designed for municipalities, local authorities, utilities, cooperatives, and other potential developers, while also offering value to a wide range of local stakeholders. The results of the ConnectHeat project are translated into steps that any new H&C community can follow in its emergence path. It emphasizes that a H&C community project does not need to start from scratch but can build on existing or ongoing initiatives.
It outlines the steps needed to lay the groundwork for a new community, focusing on capacity-building and developing an engagement plan. It then guides the readers through the planning phase, including the establishment of a Board, the assessment of technical feasibility, and cost-benefit analysis.
Finally, it highlights the key steps for creating a solid business plan, offering practical advice on setting up a management structure, drafting a community roadmap, and assessing potential risks.
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