Resource efficient cities
Period: January 2015 - June 2017
Funding: Swedish District Heating (SEK 1,358,653) Participants: Associate prof. Linda Wårell (Economics), Prof. Kristina Söderholm (History), Ph.D. Charlotta Söderberg (Political Science)
Of the total energy consumption in Sweden, about 80 percent linked to activities in the cities. Local authorities therefore have a key role in the transition to sustainable energy. For this reason it is important that local and regional actors mobilized to targets on renewable energy is to be achieved.
The goal of this project is to contribute to greater understanding of the district heating system's potential to contribute to the resource-efficient city, and more specifically for the efficiency of the district heating partnerships built and maintained at local level. The researchers will also study how the municipality and the state can participate in such partnerships.
It is hoped that the results will provide guidance on how national policies, from regulations to counselling and subsidies, can be designed to encourage resource-efficient district heating collaborations. The results will also provide practical knowledge to politicians and potential district heating producers on how sustainable cooperation can be promoted through national and local initiatives. It could, for example on how the municipality and the government can help to reduce the risks for private parties who wish to be included in the resource-efficient energy partnerships.
The project is interdisciplinary with researchers in economics, political science and the history of technology from Luleå University of Technology.
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