Rural Web Energy Learning Network for Action erenet

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1 Rural Web Energy Learning Network for Action erenet Website Duration June 20 to December 203 Contract no. IEE/0/22/SI2.5932

2 erenet Rural Web Energy Learning Network for Action erenet aims to add value to local actions in rural communities, creating an intelligent and integrated Rural Web Energy Learning Network for Action. erenet awarded with the National Energy Globe Award Greece The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), erenet Coordinator, received the award certificate for the National Energy Globe Award Greece 203, as one of the best projects on sustainability, during a ceremony held in its premises, on the 29 th of May 203. erenet, mainly through peer to peer communication with all engaged actors, but also with the support of e-communication, fosters the rural learning communities in the development, implementation and monitoring of their Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs), capacity building of the related actors through knowledge transfer from experienced communities and identification of bankable projects, matured enough to be included under national or European Union (EU) structural funds. An additional step forward for these efforts was the realization of the existing SEAPs methodologies and learning tools into a web application (e-application), contributing to the reduction of required time, municipality resources and capacities for the development of tailor made SEAPs and their monitoring. The key message of Prof. Psarras, erenet project coordinator, is that with hard work, long term vision and political commitment, rural sustainable communities can be created. erenet: Rural but still..sustainable.

3 erenet Rural Communities Municipality of Amyntaio, Greece Amyntaio has committed to implement a series of appropriate RES and RUE activities in its territory till 2020, laying balanced emphasis on the local energy and heat production, and the promotion and implementation of measures on energy savings. Biomass district heating systems in local communities are given priority. Municipality of Asenovgrad, Bulgaria Asenovgrad has been awarded as The Greenest Municipality in Bulgaria in its category, after taking advantage of the solar, thermal and geothermal energy, as well as biomass potential and satisfying Bulgaria s priorities in the field of RES. The embodiment of RES into the public buildings all around the region is a quite encouraging sample of their potential. Municipalities of Dugo Selo & Sveta Nedelja, Croatia Both of the municipalities have similar goals and standards, focusing on the security of energy supply. Some of the on-going RES/RUE projects are the implementation of the project Systematic Energy Management, the energy efficient modernization of public lighting and the lowenergy reconstruction of school buildings. Municipality of Judenburg, Austria A reduction of 28% for the CO 2 emissions is the main goal for the Judenburg Municipality, which is quite confident about this goal. Their general plan includes the expansion of RES, the provision of grants for RES measures and changes on public buildings and raising the public awareness, especially on students, since they are going to be the next generation of the community. Municipality of Sertã, Portugal The measures included in its SEAP fall consistently on a strategy of continuous energy sustainability improvement of the municipality. The municipality works with local schools in order to accomplish sustainable energy actions, raising awareness in the younger and trying to reach out to the whole community.

4 SEAP Elaboration & Stakeholders Engagement Adhesion of the erenet Communities to the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) The 6 learning communities adhered to the CoM in 20, and several mayors participated in the respective CoM ceremony. Stakeholders Engagement Public consultation meetings are considered an important tool to raise awareness among the municipality s stakeholders and reach consensus on ambigous issues, so that the elaborated SEAP answers the community s needs in the best possible way. The public consultations implemented allowed the interaction with stakeholders, enabling adjustments and improvements on the municipalities SEAPs. Identification of local needs and priorities through the engagement of local stakeholders and acquisition of their feedback. Development and distribution of 5 customized questionnaires for the following groups; National, regional, municipal institutions; Schools, universities and citizens; Farmers and Agricultural Producers; Energy agencies, utilities and energy companies; Planners and developers.

5 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Amyntaio 2 3 Asenovgrad 2 3 Judenburg 2 3 Sertã 2 3 Sveta Nedelja 2 Dugo Selo 2 Adhesion to the CoM Stakeholders Questionnaires Identification Distribution & Analysis 2 3 Public Consultation Meetings SEAP submission Some key points from the erenet Communities Mr. Ioakeim Iosifidis (Mayor of Amyntaio) Early engagement of the local stakeholders in the SEAP development is considered crucial for the plan s embracement by the public. Mr. Hannes Dolleschall (Mayor of Judenburg) Start with what you already have and expand it. Try to involve people from different sectors and make sure that information is exchanged between them. Mr. José Farinha Nunes (Mayor of Sertã) The municipality has great pride on being a part of this communities network that allows a relevant and rich share of experiences. Mr. Emil Karaivanov (Mayor of Asenovgrad) The municipalities should study thoroughly their existing infrastructure and develop a comprehensive system of measures with which the reduction of energy consumption and the promotion of RES are going to be feasible.

6 Customized Methodology for Rural Communities Key Parameters for Rural Communities Increased energy consumption in the Agricultural/Fishery/ Forestry sector; Less significant role of industry and usually small contribution of public transport; Heavier reliance on private transportation; Smaller number of engaged stakeholders, which allows for a different decision making process; Different options available for RES/RUE technologies; The rural communities are not served by good infrastructure, such as lack of grids (e.g. natural gas), older and less efficient buildings. Baseline Emission Inventory The main aim is to facilitate the calculation of energy consumption per sector (especially for tertiary sector, residential buildings, private and commercial transport, agriculture, etc), providing alternative calculation methods to the users. The approach used for the data entry regarding all buildings and facilities energy consumptions is either based on existing aggregated data for a specific type of facilities (e.g. schools), either on the bottom up approach and/or use of appropriate estimations where considered necessary. The approaches were based on the data acquirement methods and problems in the erenet participating countries per sector. Total Energy Consumption Prefecture Level Data Bottom Up Approach Combination of Bottom Up Approach and Prefecture level data Other Key Features Database with alternative RES/RUE best practices for rural communities. Scenario analysis based on the projections for a series of parameters (e.g. community s population growth, personal income, etc). Financial assessment of the potential RES/RUE projects. SEAP s monitoring.

7 erenet Web Tools Anyone can use it! erenet Web Tools provide an efficient, user friendly environment addressing especially the interested stakeholders who are not experts in the field. The adopted approach is based on the general principles set out in the Covenant SEAP guidelines, as well as existing methodologies and tools for the development and implementation of SEAPs, properly adapted to the rural communities characteristics. Actions Evaluation Scenario Analysis SEAP Elaboration Final Energy Consumption RES/RUE Suggested Actions Monitoring & Evaluation Local Production Stakeholders engagement 20% CO 2 Baseline Emission Inventory Emission Factors All interested parties are more than welcome to use the Web Tools platform and benefit from their operation towards an easier SEAP development! Simple & highly effective... Free for use for all registered users. Simplification of the SEAPs development and monitoring procedure. Available in six languages, namely English, Greek, German, Portuguese, Croatian and Bulgarian. A manual has been developed in order to guide their proper use in 6 languages. Training Ptatform With the incorporation of Tutorial, Best Practices and Wiki all interested stakeholders have the opportunity to be aware of a variety of issues related to CoM and SEAPs. A Forum is available giving interested stakeholders the opportunity to exchange opinions online.

8 Engagement & Training of Local Actors Training Workshops Elaboration of 2 training workshops on SEAP development, implementation and monitoring, targeting mainly the capacity building of the consortium partners. Knowledge transfer from other rural communities in the country (e.g. panel discussion, field visits) is essential; Added value to local actions and the importance of local problems in the rural communities. Training Seminars Implementation of 5 training seminars, targeted to nearby rural communities personnel and energy agencies. Diffuse the idea and modus operandi of the SEAPs in other communities with similar characteristics, assuring thus the wider impact of the results. Financing Info Days Advice on planning and funding of the SEAP actions. Targeted towards local authorities, the local and regional energy companies and local investors.

9 Dissemination Design and Development of information material: - erenet Brochure - Financing Leaflet - Newsletters - EUSEW Video - erenet Briefs Extensive presence at the local and national level through press releases, TV and radio broadcasts, articles in the local press, presentations in conferences, participation in EUSEW and EACI events and papers in scientific journals. Synergies with other IEE projects on Local Energy Leadership. Visit us at: Join us at: LinkedIn & Facebook

10 erenet Achievements At least 26 municipalities adhered to the CoM initiative following erenet networking. Over 60 municipalities are developing their SEAPs using the erenet Web Tools and another 60 have been trained in their use More than 500 participants in the 0 information days on financing. 500 Identification of 2 bankable RES/RUE projects in the erenet learning communities. 58 persons trained through the training workshops on SEAP development, implementation and monitoring persons at EU level outside the consortium members trained within the framework of the 5 national training seminars. Development of customized SEAPs for the 6 erenet learning communities. More than 300 representatives from all local target groups participated in the 0 public consultation meetings of erenet rural communities..8,8 questionnaires were collected and analyzed from all 6 communities. 28 Identification of 28 key stakeholders in the 6 erenet communities.

11 erenet Lessons Learnt SEAP elaboration and implementation Early engagement of the local stakeholders in the SEAP development is considered crucial for the plan s embracement by the public and its overall success. Key steps in the engagement procedure are the distribution of customized questionnaires to acquire feedback from the stakeholders, the distribution of official support letters by the local administration and the realization of Public Consultation Meetings for the SEAPs discussion and approval. Media coverage from the local press on the SEAP elaboration and implementation progress at a regular basis is considered necessary. Rural communities should address separately the agriculture sector (including forestry and fishery), since it may contribute over 20% of the total energy consumption at the municipal level. Setting real achievable targets for the SEAP instead of unrealistic goals is the key for the SEAP s success. This doesn t mean that a more ambitious vision for the municipality should not be pursued at the long term planning, even towards 00% independence from fossil fuels, as long as it is based on solid, thoroughly studied actions, with a carefully planned time schedule. Training For the capacity building of the municipality personnel to be engaged in the SEAP elaboration process, participation in respective training workshops and seminars is considered necessary to achieve real know how transfer from the experts in the field. During the trainings, open time for discussions is vital for the trainees to comprehend the workshop s outputs. Panel discussions among experts on specific issues contribute to the identification of problems and exchange of experiences. Significant parameters for the elaboration of a successful training are the balanced inclusion of theory, best practice examples and field visits to successful RES/ RUE projects. The utilization of web tools for the SEAPs development and monitoring can make the difference for the interested stakeholders who are not experts in the field, saving resources and time.

12 erenet partners national technical university of athens - GREECE energy agency upper styria - AUSTRIA north-west croatia regional energy agency - Croatia black sea energy research center - Bulgaria IrRADIARE, ltd portugal municipality of amyntaio - Greece town of neumarkt (in the upper palatinate) - Germany asenovgrad municipality - Bulgaria municipality of judenburg - Austria sertã city council - Portugal erenet coordination National Technical University of Athens (ntua) greece prof. john psarras john@epu.ntua.gr tel: (+30) Contact person dr. alexandra papadopoulou alexpapa@epu.ntua.gr tel: (+30) fax: (+30)