The rapid deployment in the building sector of clean energy technologies and behavioral shifts, supported by innovation strategies, has the potential to significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030 and paves the way to achieve the zero-carbon buildings stock targets under the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE Scenario). Buildings operations account directly and indirectly for approximately 30% of global energy sector emissions.
Reaching those targets for a zero-carbon buildings stock by 2050 is a significant challenge, but one that also opens important opportunities. The current decade is a critical period for governments to put in place policy frameworks and regulations to support this vision. Technologies that are available on the market today are theoretically able to provide nearly all of the emissions reductions required by 2030 in the NZE Scenario, but a multitude of complex issues make full implementation very challenging at present.
In this report, experts from the IEA Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs) provide their strategic visions on how to overcome the challenges and offer recommendations for the technology solutions, innovation strategies and policy instruments needed to help deliver the required milestones for buildings by 2030 outlined in the NZE Scenario—valuable benchmarks on the road to 2050.
Series of articles’ titles based on some of the most critical IEA Net Zero by 2050’s buildings milestones to 2030
- All countries targeted for zero-carbon-ready codes for new buildings by 2030
- Renovation of near 20% of existing building stock to zero-carbon-ready by 2030 is ambitious but necessary
- Installation of about 600 million heat pumps covering 20% of buildings heating needs by 2030
- Approximately 100 million households rely on rooftop solar PV by 2030
- Solar PV and wind supply about 40% of building electricity use by 2030
- 350 million building units linked connected to district energy networks by 2030, provide about 20% of space heating needs
- Solar thermal technologies deployed in around 400 million dwellings by 2030
- Targeting 100% LED lighting sales by 2025
- Residential behavior changes lead to a reduction in heating and cooling energy use by 2030
- By 2030 EVs represent more
The third article titled “Installation of about 600 million heat pumps covering 20% of buildings heating needs by 2030” has been authored and reviewed by experts from the Technology Collaboration Program on Heat Pumping Technologies (HPT TCP).
High-efficiency electric heat pumps are the primary technology driving reduced emissions from heating in the buildings sector in the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE Scenario) and the number of heat pumps installed globally rises from 180 million in 2020 to around 600 million in 2030 in that scenario. The article describes the relevance and the current state of heat pumps and also challenges that need to be overcome to increase deployment. Moreover, innovation themes to overcome challenges and benefit on the possibilities of the technology, covered by the Technology Collaboration Programmes of IEA are described. Finally, policy recommendations to reach the targets under the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE Scenario) are given.
