WP09

Legal and socio-economic integration of proposed solutions

Abstract:

WP09 aims at providing recommendations for the legal and socio-economic actions and frame conditions necessary for the timely decarbonization of the Swiss heating and cooling system. The understanding of the socio-technical heating/cooling system, analysis tools and legal requirements developed in WP02 will be adapted and refined in the light of case studies and recent progress in energy conversion, storage, and distribution technologies. Case studies (in WP06 and WP07) and various P&D projects will give an empirical basis to formulate guidelines for the transition of neighborhoods to a zero- GHG-emission heating/cooling system. Finally, insights obtained in the whole DeCarbCH project will be synthesized in a roadmap, giving a schedule for coordinated action by all relevant actors to ensure that the innovation system, governance arrangements and local and national policies all enable the timely decarbonization of the Swiss heating/cooling system.

Objectives:

This work package analyses the socio-economic and legal challenges of techno-economically optimal solutions (from WP01), novel technical solutions and technology combinations (from WP03 and WP05) and how these proposed solutions may benefit with socio-economic and legal support.

  1. Understand the newly proposed solutions by other WPs and assess the legal and socio-economic consequences they may pose.
  2. Identify and assess different solutions to reduce legal and socio-economic barriers for a timely implementation of the proposed heating / cooling technology combinations.
  3. Propose measures and procedures to realize the implementation of emerging technologies and esp. enable industrialization, commercialization, and compliance with legal requirements.

Tasks:

  • T9.1 Case-study-specific legal and socio-economic requirements for accelerating the implementation of proposed solutions
  • T9.2 Legal and socio-economic challenges of newly proposed solutions
  • T9.3 State support
  • T9.4 New heating and cooling infrastructure in between public service and competition law requirements
  • T9.5 Roadmap for the decarbonization of the heating and cooling system in Swiss districts and cities

Expected Outcomes / Milestones:

  • Understanding of legal and socio-economic challenges of case studies
  • Understanding of legal and socio-economic challenges of new technological solutions
  • Assess different socio-technical variants in case studies from a legal and socio-economic point of view
  • Develop a comprehensive overview of the legal and socio-economic steps necessary for decarbonization

Duration: January 2021 - December 2028 (48 months)

Lead: Prof. Dr. iur. Andreas Abegg (ZHAW-ZOW)

Teams:

 WP08

WP10