Project

BB-Clean

Strategic tools towards a sustainable use of biomass for low carbon domestic heating

 
BB-Clean – Strategische Instrumente für eine nachhaltige Nutzung von Biomasse bei CO2-armen Hausheizungen

Particulate matter impacts natural ecosystems, as well as human health and climate change. For this reason, the objective of the BB-Clean project is to develop transnational measures for the sustainable use of biomass for domestic heating in the Alpine Region. The focus lies on developing instruments for the international use of low carbon technology.

The goal of the Interreg Alpine Space project BB-Clean is the sustainable use of biomass heating in the Alpine Region as a climate protection measure.

Biomass is a local and cost-effective resource which does not emit fossil CO2 into the atmosphere when burned. Its use is growing, particularly in the Alpine Region. In such areas there is a need to use local resources and increase energy self-sufficiency while reducing the impact on climate and the environment. For these reasons, the use of biomass in the Alpine Region makes strategic sense. Nevertheless, biomass burning produces constant particulate matter emissions, a fact which often goes unrecognised by the population and local authorities.

Particulate matter has an impact on natural ecosystems, human health, and also climate change. Biomass heating emits fine particles, so-called black carbon. Therefore the main objective of the BB-Clean project is to develop international measures for the sustainable use of biomass for domestic heating. Its goal is to minimise these impacts and ensure the sensible use of this resource in the Alpine Region. The project focuses on innovative open source and interactive approaches in order to raise awareness amongst residents and local authorities of the critical aspects of biomass burning. It will also define strategic, technological, economic and regulatory tools for limiting the effects of biomass burning in Alpine valleys.

Modelling will be used to evaluate the effects of selected measures, while innovative and sustainable business models will ensure the long-term success of the defined solutions. The development of joint documents as a basis for policy making will encourage the application of harmonised rules for the sustainable use of biomass in Alpine areas. With its cooperative network of partners from five different countries, and a large network of supporters and experts, the BB-Clean project will contribute to the vital transformation of behaviour, technology, environment and policy at both regional and EU level. Currently there is no common EU regulation for small-scale biomass appliances.

Network

Project objectives

The main objective of the project is to develop a harmonised, low carbon strategy for the sustainable use of biomass for domestic heating in the Alpine Region. This objective will be achieved by developing innovative technological, economic and informative tools based on state-of-the-art technology and the different regulations currently in place for small-scale biomass appliances in the countries of the Alpine Region. Citizens and policy-makers will be able to use these tools in order to mitigate the impact of this widely available local energy source – biomass – on air quality, human health and climate change. The project focuses on developing tools for the sustainable use of low carbon technology at international level.

Project results

The BB-Clean project is designed to achieve the following changes in the Alpine Region:

  • Greater energy efficiency
  • Energy savings
  • Reduction of particulate matter emissions through sustainable local biomass burning
  • Creation of free energy advisory services for local residents in pilot areas
  • Development of joint documents for policy making, containing harmonised regulations for local biomass burning in the Alpine Region
  • Reduction of CO2 emissions starting from baseline scenarios for specific pilot areas.

It is expected that the low carbon tools developed as part of the project will be implemented widely as they will be applied by a broad spectrum of target groups.

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Further information about the project is available on the official project website BB-Clean