Clean Energy Newsletter

The European Commission is launching a brand new edition of the Horizon Impact Award, a prize dedicated to EU-funded projects whose results have created societal impact across Europe and beyond. The prize acknowledges and rewards the most influential and impactful project results under Horizon 2020 (2014-2020), the EU research and innovation programme, and its predecessor, the 7th Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013). Each winner will receive €25 000.

The CEF Energy call for proposals supporting preparatory studies for cross-border renewable energy projects will close on 1 February! Hurry up to finalise and send your application!

The Commission has launched the Innovation Fund second call for large-scale projects with a total capital expenditure above EUR 7.5 million. Applicants can benefit from simplified one-stage application and selection procedures. Submit your proposal ahead of time!

The European City Facility (EUCF) Call for Proposals under LIFE Clean Energy Transition is open until 3 March 2022. Proposals are invited to run a European City Facility based on the experiences gained under Horizon 2020 and to offer financial support and services to cities and municipalities or their groupings to develop investment concepts for sustainable energy investments. An info session took place on 13 December and the recordings and presentations are available.

For the first time, applicants were invited to submit their ideas to accelerate the market-uptake of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions under the Clean Energy Transition LIFE sub-programme. Overall, 18 topics with a total budget of EUR 94.5M were open in the areas of local authorities, digitalisation, innovative financing, home renovation services and citizen empowerment. The first batch of LIFE Clean Energy Transition projects is expected to go live in autumn 2022.

Launched at COP26, the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst has published a request for proposals to support emerging climate technology projects in clean hydrogen, direct air capture, long-duration energy storage and sustainable aviation fuel. Join the information webinar on 25 February and know more on the process and criteria to apply.

Funded by Horizon 2020, Ren-on-Bill developed a new financing mechanism that helps homeowners renovate their homes with the support of their utility company, offering a way to deliver much needed retrofits to Europe’s housing stock.

Smart grids are one of the 12 trans-European energy infrastructure priority corridors and areas thanks to their crucial contribution to achieve EU climate and energy targets. There are currently four smart grid project actions ongoing under CEF Energy funding. Check them out!

In 2019, the carbon footprint associated with building operations such as heating increased to the highest levels ever recorded. Horizon 2020 project Accelerate SUNShINE developed an innovative financing scheme to put capital intensive, state-of-the-art energy efficiency within reach.

Over 100 representatives from EU-funded projects and the European Commission discussed the challenges and good practices on upskilling building professionals to deliver high-energy performance building renovations and nearly-zero energy building. Check out the presentations and main outcomes of the meeting.

Horizon 2020 project FloTEC aimed to demonstrate a full-scale prototype floating tidal energy generation system for optimised energy extraction in locally varying tidal resources, while reducing the levelised cost of energy of floating tidal energy.