Europe has set ambitious targets for clean heating. Heat pumps are central to that strategy. Yet deployment continues to slow, especially in multi-apartment buildings and social housing.

In this episode, Marine Cornelis explores why.

Joined by Vladimir Gjorgievski and Louise Meister, the conversation moves beyond technology to examine how clean heating actually works in real buildings.

Drawing on experiences from North Macedonia and Austria, the episode looks at:

• why heating and cooling must be planned together,

• how sector coupling translates into comfort, resilience, and bill stability,

• why upfront costs and risk allocation remain major barriers,

• and how business models and coordination determine success in collective housing.

The discussion also reflects on lessons from contexts with limited gas infrastructure, the role of energy communities and flexibility, and what alignment means for EU and national policy frameworks.

A grounded, systems-level conversation on scaling clean heating without shifting cost and risk onto residents.

Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.

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Reach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedIn
Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory

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© Next Energy Consumer, 2026

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Why does the energy sector keep trying to explain, rather than designing better?

In this episode of Energ’Ethic, Marine Cornelis speaks with Sean Layerle, Managing Partner at Baalbek Insights, about a stubborn reflex in the energy transition: the belief that low adoption can be fixed by better explanations.

With 14 years in Silicon Valley and experience across five continents, Sean has worked at the forefront of digital energy products, demand-side management, and behavioural science, including roles at Opower and EnerNOC. Today, he supports energy and tech companies as electrification, flexibility and distributed energy resources accelerate.

Together, they unpack why tech-first thinking persists, how behavioural biases quietly shape energy decisions, and why collecting more data rarely leads to better customer understanding.

The conversation moves from early lessons in demand response to today’s challenge: designing digital products that align with real human motivations, not expert assumptions.

Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.

Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inbox

Reach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedIn
Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory

Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon

© Next Energy Consumer, 2026

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Cities are on the front line of the energy transition. They are also where energy poverty is most visible.

In this episode of Energ’Ethic, Marine Cornelis talks with Dr Eduardo Blanco from Energy Cities, coordinator of the POWER UP project.

The episode covers:

• Social energy players and new local business models

• Municipal leadership and public risk-taking

• Neighbourhood-scale solutions

• Concrete lessons from European pilot cities

Eduardo explains why building fair energy systems looks less like engineering and more like embroidery. Slow, precise and deeply human.

Energ' Ethic goes out every other week.

Keep up to date with new episodes straight from your inbox

Reach out to Marine Cornelis via BlueSky or LinkedIn
Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory

Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon

© Next Energy Consumer, 2025

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.