The Uninclusive Transition to Heating Networks in French Rural Areas

To enable a sustainable transition in the energy sector, heating networks are an interesting way of pooling consumption to cut costs while using local renewable resources. Compared with traditional individual heating systems based on fossil fuels, these systems require more collaborative business models involving more players. These networks, which are widely installed in large cities, struggle to be developed in rural areas. To better understand whether this difference is the trademark of an uninclusive transition, this study suggests observing the instruments of public policy acting on the business models of these projects. To do so, qualitative research was conducted involving several interviews among French heating network stakeholders. The information obtained is cross-checked with secondary data sources. National public policy instruments relating to heating networks are reviewed. The business model framework is used to determine the impact that each of these instruments has on the development of district heating networks in rural areas. The aim is then to identify whether these instruments are biased in such a way as to exclude rural areas, whether unfairly or not. This study provides a better understanding of the collaborative dimension of heat network models in rural areas and the obstacles to their development. The results highlight the implicit effects of certain instruments in excluding rural areas from an inclusive transition.