Horizon 2020 Energy programme

Summary by Anita Derjanecz, REHVA Office, Brussels

The European Commission presented for the first time calls for projects under Horizon 2020 in December 2013. Worth more than €15 billion over the first two years, the funding is intended to help boost Europe's knowledge-driven economy, and tackle issues that will make a difference in people's lives.

In the new EU financial period 2014-2020 the previous two major research and innovation funding programmes supporting energy related issues will be merged in the H2020 Energy programme with a significantly increased budget of €5.7 billion for the Secure, clean and efficient energyprogramme in the coming seven years.

The European Commission organized an EU level Energy Information Day about the new Horizon 2020 Energy (H2020 Energy) programme calls in Brussels on 5 December 2013. The Information Day provided essential information on the calls for proposals, which will be open in 2014 and 2015. The main areas covered by the programme are Energy Efficiency, Competitive Low Carbon Energy and Smart Cities and Communities. Activities extend from research to market including activities similar to the previous Intelligent Energy Europe Programme in facilitating market uptake of energy technologies and services, fostering of social innovation and accelerating the cost effective implementation of the Union's energy policies.

Calls and annual budgets of the Energy programme

Source: presentation of Philippe Schild, DG RTD.

The Energy Efficiency call is the most relevant for the buildings sector including the several HVAC related research and market uptake actions in 4 major areas:

A.  Buildings and consumers

B.   Heating and cooling

C.  Industry and products

D.  Finance for sustainable energy

Beside this the Competitive Low-Carbon Energy call supports research and the market uptake actions in the field of renewable electricity and heating/cooling, while a Public Private Partnership Energy Efficiency of Buildings (EeB PPP) supports research and demonstration activities on the refurbishment of historic buildings.

In the two upcoming years different topics will be launched within the above calls as it is shown by the summary table below:

Energy Efficiency

*Corresponds to the topic code in the work programme.

Competitive Low-Carbon Energy

Source: presentation of Philippe Schild, DG RTD.

*Corresponds to the topic code in the work-programme.

The first calls are supposed to be launched on 11 December 2013 in Horizon 2020 website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020

All presentations of the information day are published in the event website http://ec.europa.eu/research/conferences/2013/energy_infoday/infoday_energy_en.htm.