Community-owned power-to-heat assets

Communities can own not only district heating systems (innovation #34 in Figure 6.12) but also large heat pumps, thermal storage or PV installations that serve many community residents. Each stakeholder owns a share of the assets and can participate in their management.

Community ownership can increase access to thermal storage or renewable generation and reduce costs. It can thus reduce congestion on transmission and distribution lines, enable a community to recharge thermal storage using low-cost renewable energy, and help promote the adoption of smart electrification and new technologies for residential and commercial heating and cooling.