The EPBD directive will certainly introduce a complete ban on heating residential buildings and houses using coal and natural gas from 2040. That’s in about 16 years. However, during this period, the EU wants to phase out heating using fossil fuels. What types of heating are allowed until and after 2050?
- From 2030, heating installations, including boilers, will be able to be installed in new buildings as long as they use renewable or emission-free energy. (Zero Emission Standard). If the energy cannot be renewable or carbon-free, other grid energy is possible but should remain the exception.
- By 2040, it is best to abandon fossil fuel boilers. There is not yet a clear definition of what a “fossil fuel boiler” is, but if a boiler uses renewable energy, it is NOT a fossil fuel boiler. Furthermore, the goal is not binding (hence the word “ideal” I included). People who have a natural gas boiler in their homes will not have to change it in 2040
- As the president of SPIUG adds: from 2050 – boilers can be installed in all buildings, as long as they use renewable or emission-free energy (Zero-emission standard). From 2050, all heating systems, including gas boilers, should use renewable energy sources, as all buildings should be ZEB.
Two thirds of the energy used to heat and cool buildings still comes from fossil fuels. To achieve carbon neutrality, the EU has made it particularly important and urgent to phase out fossil fuels in heating and cooling. Member States should therefore set out in their building renovation plans their national policies and measures to phase out fossil fuels in heating and cooling, and no financial incentives should be granted for case of installation of fossil fuel boilers from the entry into force of the EPBD.
Buildings account for 40% of final energy consumption across the EU
Buildings account for 40% of the Union’s final energy consumption and 36% of its energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, while 75% of buildings in the Union are still energy inefficient. Natural gas plays the largest role in building heating, accounting for approximately 42% of the energy used for space heating in the residential sector.
Oil is the second most important fossil fuel for heating purposes (14%), while coal accounts for approximately 3%. Therefore, reducing energy consumption, in line with the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle, implemented in accordance with Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/1749(12) and the use of energy from renewable sources in the buildings sector are important actions needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel poverty in the Union.
Complete abandonment of heating with coal, natural gas and fuel oil from 2040. What about home heating before 2040?
According to the recommendations contained in the EPBD directive, fossil fuel boilers are to be completely phased out in 2040, and the ban will apply to installing fossil fuel boilers, i.e. gas and coal boilers, but also those using fuel oil and eco-pea coal. Ultimately, the European Union’s plan is to achieve climate neutrality in the entire economy by 2050.
As the EPBD specifies:
Member States should take measures to ensure that the use of fossil fuel heating systems in new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovation, major renovation or renovation of the heating system is not permitted from the date of transposition j of the EPBD, and should phase out the use of heating systems fossil fuels from all buildings by 2035 r., a if this is not feasible, as informed to the Commission, this should be done by 2040 at the latest. It will also play a key role in reducing the Union’s dependence on imports from third countries, reducing citizens’ energy bills and vulnerability to price fluctuations, and stopping air pollution being exceeded.
This means that in Poland we will gradually move away from heating with natural gas, fuel oil and coal. However, this does not mean a complete departure from, for example, natural gas boilers.
Renovation of heating systems in houses according to the EPBD directive
Renovation of heating systems will involve replacing or upgrading the heat source and may also include other components of the heating system such as pumping equipment, insulation of pipework, control equipment or terminal equipment such as radiators or fan coil units.
According to the EPBD directive, despite their impact on the overall efficiency of the system, replacing or modernizing individual elements without the use of a heat source should not be considered a renovation of the heating system, because these elements are independent of the energy source used. Renovating the heating system is an opportunity to support the decarbonization of heating across the EU.
Timetable for phasing out fossil fuel home heating in line with the EPBD directive
·In line with the EPBD, from 2025 all stand-alone non-fossil fuel boilers and natural gas boilers as part of hybrid heating systems (e.g. with heat pump or solar collectors) can still receive financial support.
The exception is if financial support has been selected for investment before 2025, in accordance with the articles of the regulations on European funds (RRF, FEDER, CAP, etc.), it is still possible to support the replacement with gas boilers until the end of the multiannual financial framework in 2027. These exemptions should apply in particular when coal-fired boilers are to be replaced by natural gas boilers. This means that the Clean Air program should be covered by these exceptions until 2027 – emphasizes Janusz Starościk, president of the management board of the Association of Producers and Importers of Heating Equipment (SPIUG).
From 2030, heating installations, including boilers, will be able to be installed in new buildings as long as they use renewable or emission-free energy. (Zero Emissions Standard). If the energy cannot be renewable or carbon-free, other grid energy is possible but should remain the exception.
By 2040, it is best to abandon fossil fuel boilers. There is not yet a clear definition of what a “fossil fuel boiler” is, but if a boiler uses renewable energy, it is NOT a fossil fuel boiler. Furthermore, the goal is not binding (hence the word “ideal” I included). People who have a natural gas boiler in their homes will not have to change it in 2040 – emphasizes the president of SPIUG.
·As the president of SPIUG adds: from 2050 – boilers can be installed in all buildings, as long as they use renewable or emission-free energy (Zero-emission standard). From 2050, all heating systems, including gas boilers, should use renewable energy sources, as all buildings should be ZEB.
How will we heat our homes from 2030?
The EU, like Poland, will introduce a ban on heating both old and new houses using coal and eco-pea coal. We write about this in the article below regarding the Polish NECP.
What heating sources are allowed under the EPBD directive? These should be emission-free heating sources for buildings and houses based on renewable energy sources. What energy sources can be used to heat homes?
Pursuant to art. 2(1) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001; Energy from renewable sources. comes from renewable non-fossil sources, namely:
- wind energy,
- solar radiation energy (thermal and photovoltaic),
- aerothermal, geothermal and hydrothermal energies,
- ambient heat,
- tidal, wave and other ocean energy,
- hydropower, energy obtained from biomass,
- gas from landfills, sewage treatment plants and biological sources (biogas).
This means that there will be 4 main heating methods available: burning biomass (pellet, wood), gas from landfills and biogas plants (biogas); obtaining heat from the sun and electric heating. Due to the highest energy efficiency and compliance with the electrification strategy, the target heating technology will be compressor technology. heat pumps.
The directive strongly promotes heating using solar energy, i.e solar collectors or acquired electricity from photovoltaic panels and use them for powering heat pumps.
Biomass is also considered renewable energy, which means that even after 2040 it will be possible to heat houses using pellets, firewood and exploit wood gassing boilers for heating houses.
Moreover, the EU allows its use gas boilers coming from landfills the biogas and hydrogen for heating houses.
Most offered natural gas boilers are already H2 ready. What does it mean? A mixture containing 20% hydrogen can be used to power natural gas boilers.
Natural gas boilers can also be converted to use a mixture fully based on renewable gases (biogas, hydrogen).
This means that we will be able to heat our housesbiomass fuels, heat pumps, solar collectorsi i renewable gas boilers. These are the 4 main ways, what about the fifth one?
Hybrid heating based on certain fossil fuels will be allowed until at least 2050.
As we read in art. 7 section 4a a regarding new buildings
Member States shall take measures to ensure that the use of fossil fuel heating systems in new buildings is not permitted from … (date of transposition of this Directive). Hybrid heating systems, boilers certified to run on renewable fuels and other technical building systems that do not use exclusively fossil fuels and meet the requirements set out in Art. 11 section 1, are not considered fossil fuel heating systems for the purposes of this paragraph.
What does this mean in practice for those who want to heat their homes with natural gas? If they use a hybrid heating system, i.e. in addition to a gas boiler, they will have solar collectors or photovoltaic panels (and these will be mandatory in new buildings from January 1, 2030), they will not have to remove the natural gas boilers.
In existing buildings, gas boilers will have to use renewable energy sources if the buildings have been renovated to achieve ZEB. If buildings are not thoroughly renovated by 2050, there are no restrictions on the installation and replacement of gas boilers. Taking into account the non-binding target for 2040, it can be expected that Member States will introduce a policy ensuring the gradual phase-out of boilers that do not sufficiently use renewable energy sources, but this depends on the Member States and is not binding – summarizes the president of SPIUG.
