Topic:

Topic: District Heating

Latest

[Episode #248] – The Future of Geothermal

Apr 23 2025

Although geothermal power plants have operated commercially in various parts of the world for decades, the sector hasn't attracted the investment needed to reduce costs and enable global deployment. But with further development, new methods of harnessing geothermal energy to produce heat and electricity could deliver as much as 800 GW of geothermal power capacity worldwide by 2050. That’s equivalent to the electricity demand of the United States and India combined.

In December 2024, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published "The Future of Geothermal Energy," a report exploring opportunities in this sector.

Our guest today is a lead author of that report. In this conversation, Heymi Bahar, Senior Renewable Energy Analyst with the IEA, discusses geothermal energy’s full technological potential and strategies for unlocking investment in this promising resource.

Guest:

Heymi Bahar is a Senior Renewable Energy Analyst with the International Energy Agency (IEA). Before IEA, Heymi worked as a trade policy analyst at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) where he analysed domestic inventive measures for renewable energy sources with possible trade implications. He also worked on cross-border trade in electricity and the development of renewables-based electric power. Heymi graduated from Sabanci University and holds a Master degree on Energy, Resources and Environment from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University.

On Twitter: @HeymiBahar

On LinkedIn: Heymi Bahar

Geek rating: 4

(more…)

[Episode #243] – Decarbonizing Heating

Feb 12 2025

Mini Episode

Heat pumps work almost like magic—delivering several times more heat energy than the electricity they require to run. Modern heat pumps are so efficient, they can even extract warmth from freezing temperatures, keeping buildings comfortable despite the cold outdoors.

With many policymakers seriously exploring ways they can accelerate heat pump adoption, we thought now is the perfect time to offer some specific and useful guidance on designing effective approaches for realizing this goal. Our guest today is Dr. Richard Lowes, a specialist in heating technology and policy with the Regulatory Assistance Project in Europe. He also co-chairs the Clean Heat Forum international policy network. Richard has advocated for heating policy since earning his doctorate in the subject from the University of Exeter a decade ago, advising the Scottish government’s heat decarbonization programme board, various UK parliamentary select committees, and serving in multiple roles within the UK government.

In this episode, we discuss why the energy transition requires us to fix leaky buildings, tradeoffs between energy efficiency upgrades and simply swapping out old boilers for heat pumps, the best policies to encourage heat pump adoption, and the measures available in Europe to support all these efforts.

Guest:

Dr. Richard Lowes is a specialist in the technology and policy associated with heating and is based within RAP’s Europe programme. He joined RAP in 2021 with over 10 years’ heat policy experience in industry, academia and working with policymakers. Richard currently coordinates much of RAP’s work on clean heating in Europe and globally, and as part of this, co-chairs the Clean Heat Forum international policy network.

After earning an advanced degree in energy policy, Lowes worked for UK energy company SSE before moving on to gas transporter SGN, where he led the company’s work on policy and public affairs. This was at a time when few were considering, let alone working on the issue of cleaning up heating. In 2014 he moved to the University of Exeter, where he completed a doctorate alongside various heat policy and regulation-focused research projects. He was particularly known for his analysis on lobbying and the political influence of the gas industry. He also lectured on energy policy. Since 2019, he has been a non-executive director of the Scottish government’s heat decarbonisation programme board.

Richard Lowes has a track record of delivering high-impact heat decarbonisation research and remains a research fellow at the University of Exeter. He has provided oral evidence to multiple UK parliamentary select committees, was an expert advisor to the National Audit Office inquiry into Great Britain’s Renewable Heat Incentive, and was an advocate for sustainable heating at the 2020 Climate Assembly UK. He had the privilege of being appointed as a specialist advisor for the UK house of commons inquiry into economy wide electrification in 2023.

He holds a first class honours degree in geography and environmental management, in addition to his master’s (with distinction) in energy policy and doctorate in the development of UK sustainable heating policy. He was appointed as a fellow of the energy institute for his expertise in energy policy in 2023.

On Twitter: @heatpolicyrich

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardlowes/

On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/richardlowes.bsky.social

On the Web: https://www.raponline.org/experts/richard-lowes/

Geek rating: 7

(more…)

[Episode #18] – The Collapse of Coal

Jun 1 2016

Full Episode

The last of the big-time U.S. coal companies has gone bankrupt, and in the hills of Appalachia, they’re looking for their next move. How will the former coal miners find new careers and build new industries? How will the liabilities of coal companies ever get paid? And how did we get into this situation in the first place? We talk with one of the best coal reporters in the business (and a West Virginian native) to find out.

Geek rating: 5

(more…)

[Episode #17] – Denmark’s Energy Transition

May 18 2016

Full Episode

In percentage terms, Denmark is the world leader in energy transition, as well as the king of wind power. Wind now supplies 42% of all Denmark’s electricity, and by 2020, the country plans to get fully half of its power from wind. It’s also the only developed country in the world with a serious plan to achieve 100% of its energy – just not electricity, but all energy – from renewables, and plans to do it by 2050. In this episode we talk with energy journalist Justin Gerdes about his new e-book on Denmark’s energy transition, Quitting Carbon: How Denmark Is Leading the Clean Energy Transition and Winning the Race to the Low-Carbon Future.

Geek rating: 2

(more…)