The Energy Challenge is designed to support the transition towards a reliable, sustainable and competitive energy system. Indeed, to developp a competitive energy system, we need to overcome a lot of challenges, such as increasingly scarce resources, growing energy needs and climate change.

The 2020 Work Programme continues to address barriers to the uptake of sustainable energy solutions, including supporting actions in key areas such as financing, skills, consumer empowerment and policy implementation.

The last Work Programme for Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy under Horizon 2020 will be published on 2nd July, 2019. It is designed to facilitate a smooth transition to the future Horizon Europe and LIFE programmes. Two intervention areas “Buildings in energy transition” (B4E) and “Smart and clean energy for consumers” (EC) bring together 18 topics focusing on energy efficiency as a cornerstone of the energy transition.

With close to €120 million of EU funding available, the Work Programme responds to the rapid evolution of technologies, markets and business models, particularly by tapping new data sources. For example, new topics address the use of big data for buildings, the uptake of heating and cooling solutions, and the self-optimisation capability of products.