Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BEenerGI (Bundling sustainable energy investments for GIrona´s municipalities)
Reporting period: 2016-10-01 to 2019-03-31
Since April 2015, the Beenergi program has provided technical, legal and financial assistance to 110 of Girona's municipalities with the aim of carrying out actions that promote energy efficiency in public lighting and in municipal buildings, as well as creating heating networks using biomass fuels and locally producing sustainable biomass.
Thanks to the Beenergi program, in Girona 100 municipalities have improved their energy efficiency in public lighting and public buildings, generating a savings of 6.037,32 tons of CO2, the mobilisation of 20.30 million euros in investments and 311 job creation. Moreover, the contracts have produced an average energy savings of 32.22 %. It should be noted that more than34 municipalities are anticipating new contracts with micro energy service companies in the upcoming years that would generate a new investment of 16.1 million euros.
As far as improving energy efficiency in buildings, the Beenergi program has pushed for eliminating the use of fossil fuels in favour of using local sustainable forest biomass in 110 buildings in 45 municipalities. The consumption of this forest biomass has helped in reducing the risk of fires in 6,431 hectares of forest, thanks to sustainable forest management. At the same time, it has generated a savings of 2.612 tons of CO2 and created 282 jobs. It should be noted that 15 more municipalities are planning to install biomass boilers in their buildings.
Additionally, the Beenergi program provides access to local energy consumption data and encourages sharing the results of the program throughout Europe so that these new schemes may be replicated in other regions.
Thanks to the Beenergi program, in Girona 100 municipalities have improved their energy efficiency in public lighting and public buildings, generating a savings of 6.037,32 tons of CO2, the mobilisation of 20.30 million euros in investments and 311 job creation. Moreover, the contracts have produced an average energy savings of 32.22 %. It should be noted that more than34 municipalities are anticipating new contracts with micro energy service companies in the upcoming years that would generate a new investment of 16.1 million euros.
As far as improving energy efficiency in buildings, the Beenergi program has pushed for eliminating the use of fossil fuels in favour of using local sustainable forest biomass in 110 buildings in 45 municipalities. The consumption of this forest biomass has helped in reducing the risk of fires in 6,431 hectares of forest, thanks to sustainable forest management. At the same time, it has generated a savings of 2.612 tons of CO2 and created 282 jobs. It should be noted that 15 more municipalities are planning to install biomass boilers in their buildings.
Additionally, the Beenergi program provides access to local energy consumption data and encourages sharing the results of the program throughout Europe so that these new schemes may be replicated in other regions.
- Launching sustainable energy investments: 12.17 MEur have been mobilised (awarded or signed contracts) to improve street lighting energy efficiency in 34 municipalities and 9.50 Meur to improve energy efficiency in 110 buildings of 45 municipalities.
- Strengthen innovative organisational models: Sustainable energy investemtns have been aggregated in 11 packages: 2 packages for joint procurement (11 municipalities involved), 3 packages to improve energy efficiency in street lighting (15 municipalities involved) and 7 packages to improve energy efficiency in public buildings (26 municipalities)
- Establishing and promoting a new funding scheme: 69 contracts have been signed, awarded or launched with Energy Serivce Companies (ESCOs) or Small and Medium Enteriprises-Micro-ESCOs (MESCOs), 21 contracts to improve steet lighting energy efficiency and 48 contracts to improve energy efficiency in public buildings.
- Capacity building: Training activities among key actors involved and final beneficiaries have been developed ( 140 people with increase capacity). Specifically a total of 49 SMEs have been trained.
- Opening acces to energy consumption data: Energy consumption data of 16 municipalities have been published.
- Communication of results across Europe: Beenergi results have been presented in 14 conferences at regional level, 5 conferences at Spanish level and 4 conferences at UE. was presented during Les Ateliers de la Comission Méditerranée de CGLU (Tounisia) in Souse, Tunise. A total of 18 organisations have been engaged in the Beenergi twinning program. As well, Beenergi project was selected for the EUSEW 2017 award.
- Forest fire risk reduced: 67.50 % of Girona’s surface is covered by forest. Biomass boilers installed in public buildings have mobilized 5,145 tn of local biomass and have encouraged the managements of 6,431 ha of Girona’s forest.
- Strengthen innovative organisational models: Sustainable energy investemtns have been aggregated in 11 packages: 2 packages for joint procurement (11 municipalities involved), 3 packages to improve energy efficiency in street lighting (15 municipalities involved) and 7 packages to improve energy efficiency in public buildings (26 municipalities)
- Establishing and promoting a new funding scheme: 69 contracts have been signed, awarded or launched with Energy Serivce Companies (ESCOs) or Small and Medium Enteriprises-Micro-ESCOs (MESCOs), 21 contracts to improve steet lighting energy efficiency and 48 contracts to improve energy efficiency in public buildings.
- Capacity building: Training activities among key actors involved and final beneficiaries have been developed ( 140 people with increase capacity). Specifically a total of 49 SMEs have been trained.
- Opening acces to energy consumption data: Energy consumption data of 16 municipalities have been published.
- Communication of results across Europe: Beenergi results have been presented in 14 conferences at regional level, 5 conferences at Spanish level and 4 conferences at UE. was presented during Les Ateliers de la Comission Méditerranée de CGLU (Tounisia) in Souse, Tunise. A total of 18 organisations have been engaged in the Beenergi twinning program. As well, Beenergi project was selected for the EUSEW 2017 award.
- Forest fire risk reduced: 67.50 % of Girona’s surface is covered by forest. Biomass boilers installed in public buildings have mobilized 5,145 tn of local biomass and have encouraged the managements of 6,431 ha of Girona’s forest.
As a result of the Beenergi program, Girona Provincial Council has assisted 53 municipalities in improving their public lighting energy efficiency by making contracts with micro energy service companies. 34 municipalities have contracted energy efficiency improvements in the public lighting of their municipalities. A total of 12.17 million euros in investment was mobilized and the contract cost (or proposed budget in some cases) was 16.96 million euros. The tonnes per year in overall emissions reduction have been 3,424.40tCO2/year and the energy savings have been 7,162.90 MWh/year. The companies that were selected have mainly been SMEs, whether by group or individual contracts, with direct technical assistance provided to the council. The investment of 12.17 million euros in renewable energy means the creation of 29 green Jobs.
Throughout the duration of the Beenergi program 63 municipalities have received assistance in implementing energy efficiency measures or building renewable energy installations using biomass for different municipal buildings.
In the case of biomass installations, there was the option of using wood burning or pellet burning boilers or centralised heating networks that use wood boilers.
There was an increased use in biomass as a thermal energy because the Environmental Services Department of the Girona Provincial Council has been working on ways of promoting local, certified, quality biomass. In the scope of climate change and energy dependence on fossil fuels, taking advantage of forest biomass to produce energy is seen as an opportunity to encourage the multi-uses of forests, to accelerate the primary sector, promote forest management, create new businesses, create new jobs and to do it conserving the natural value of the forest.
Overall there was a carbon emissions reduction of 2,612 tCO2/year, reaching 5,145 tons of wood, which means there were 6,431 hectares of sustainable- managed forest, reducing fire risks and creating forestry related jobs. The companies that were awarded contracts were for the most part, (99% of the cases), small and medium-sized companies—either by group or individual purchases, with the direct technical assistance from the city council. The investment of 9.5 € in renewable energy means the creation of jobs for 282 workers in the sustainable energy field.
Throughout the duration of the Beenergi program 63 municipalities have received assistance in implementing energy efficiency measures or building renewable energy installations using biomass for different municipal buildings.
In the case of biomass installations, there was the option of using wood burning or pellet burning boilers or centralised heating networks that use wood boilers.
There was an increased use in biomass as a thermal energy because the Environmental Services Department of the Girona Provincial Council has been working on ways of promoting local, certified, quality biomass. In the scope of climate change and energy dependence on fossil fuels, taking advantage of forest biomass to produce energy is seen as an opportunity to encourage the multi-uses of forests, to accelerate the primary sector, promote forest management, create new businesses, create new jobs and to do it conserving the natural value of the forest.
Overall there was a carbon emissions reduction of 2,612 tCO2/year, reaching 5,145 tons of wood, which means there were 6,431 hectares of sustainable- managed forest, reducing fire risks and creating forestry related jobs. The companies that were awarded contracts were for the most part, (99% of the cases), small and medium-sized companies—either by group or individual purchases, with the direct technical assistance from the city council. The investment of 9.5 € in renewable energy means the creation of jobs for 282 workers in the sustainable energy field.