The report presents an overview of various theoretical framework for analyzing the governance and innovation of heating systems, focusing on aquathermal energy.
The frameworks will be used to analyze both large scales patters of heating transitions over time, and more detailed perspectives of for example if and how collaboration is occurring between actors involved in developing aquathermal energy projects, and what motivates them.
We applied these frameworks to contrasting cases in Sweden and the Netherlands.
In Sweden, early efforts were made to transition household heating systems to non-fossil fuel technologies, such as implementing biofuels in district heating and heat pump systems, including aquathermal energy systems. This development can be attributed, among other factors, to the Oil Crises in the 1970’s. However, despite many past examples of functioning household AE systems throughout the country, we found very little compiled and recent information on their development. Therefore, for the report, we decided to interview various stakeholders, such as private sector system installers, developers, dwelling owners, and municipalities. Our research sought to explore and understand the different possibilities and barriers for these household aquathermal systems, as well as if and how collaboration is occurring between stakeholders.
One of our most surprising findings was that an existing system built in the early 1990’s, serving 36 rental flats was still functioning well, providing stable and easily maintainable heating through a closed-loop system. The pumps were exchanged in 2016, while the coil in the lake remained original. We also learned that the permitting system in Sweden is mainly implemented by municipalities, and a smooth process is in place. However, we also realized that very few organized activities are taking place between stakeholders to further strengthen the use of this technology. Additionally, competition with other similar heating (and cooling) systems, such as shallow geothermal and air-air systems, has hindered broader adoption of AE systems throughout the country. This is partly due to the fact that, even though Sweden has many rivers, long coastlines, and numerous lakes, proximity to water remains a significant factor.
In comparison with the case in the Netherlands - the Fryslân province -, we found that in both cases, the recent geopolitical climate, where fuel from Russia is severely restricted, has played a role in initiatives to find local and sustainable solutions. The development in the Netherlands is more recent, and here, the push from the policy side at the national level – via climate policy and governance - has also facilitated gathering more information on aquathermal project development. Hence, for this case, we were able to apply a more comprehensive combination of theoretical frameworks that complement each other and enabled us to gain understandings we would not have come across when only adopting a mono theoretical approach.
These two cases represent very different perspectives, particularly over time, on the development of AE in a sustainable heating context in Europe. We believe this is an interesting comparison that can illustrate the usefulness of the suggested theoretical frameworks for analyzing other cases in the project. These will pertain to a selection of the WaterWarmth pilots, which will be analyzed in Autumn 2024.