The Consortium realized a global inventory of SH buildings which includes energy performances consumptions and cost indicators of over 100 buildings; these data formed the energy baseline on which tender documents have been set.
Meanwhile SHOs identified a range of energy retrofit interventions potentially suitable for EPC, and elaborated them in order to design a multi-setting investments and savings plan; the aim was to secure a tender’s overall sustainability and provide for an equitable sharing of benefits among tenants, building owners and ESCos (Triple win-approach).
Regarding the legal aspects the Regional Council on December 2016 approved by with broad consensus an amendment to the regional Law managing the Social Housing sector (n. 10/2004) aimed to overcome the tenants formal approval of EPC contents.
At the same time the Project Development Unit (PDU) analyzed the national regulatory framework in order to identify the most suitable legal scheme for the tender: EPC model with third party financing finds no specific discipline under the Italian Public Procurement Code, therefore it was necessary to assimilate it within other models of PPP (Public Private Partnership).
In addition, due to the differences between the financial audit systems, was impossible to use ERDF funds (5 million €) within the framework of EPC , so the Consortium had to split two different tendering procedures.
The PDU found for a Public Service Concession reserved to certified ESCOs, with innovative elements as revolving mechanism for incentives sharing, GPP criteria and bankability clauses.
The call left the participants free regarding the choice on energy technologies and the minimum investment threshold, but it fixed a minimum energy saving target of 45% on former consumptions. It concerned the Energy Efficiency Services on 67 Social Housing public buildings, the Energy Management of their 43 centralized thermal power plants and the supply of fuel (methane, gas, biomass, etc.).
The tender was launched through formal channels and promoted through meetings with with ESCos and financial Institutions, and was split in lots to encourage the participation of SMEs; it raised a wide interest among the national market operators.
The bigger lot (province of Genoa) had a concession amount of c.a. 16.7 million € and received bids from three temporary grouping of Companies. The other lots (provinces of La Spezia and Savona-Imperia) had a concession amount of c.a. 3.3 million € and c.a. 0.7 million € respectively, and received no bids probably because they were too complex and unsustainable for SMEs.
These considerations, shared with the ESCos trade associations, led to a new call for tender (single lot with changes about the financial plan). Despite the interest shown by several SMEs, only a top market player participated and won the tender.
Both winner proposals provided for an extensive use of renewable biomass, a solution not foreseen by the project partners though interesting for the local wood supply chain.
The Awarding Commissions ended their work on October 2018 and September 2019 respectively.
The signatures of EPC contracts took place in January 2020: the procedure was very long due to the financial, administrative and legal controls provided for the Public Procurement Code, and a renegotiation of the first lot financial plan (a building was no more available).
Meanwhile SHOs worked to the implementation of 7 Public Procurements for Works regarding the energy retrofit of 9 SH buildings, financed with a mix of SHOs’ budget, ERDF and national funds; the tenders were awarded by January 2019 and most of works are already finished.
Overall the project generates investments in energy efficiency for around 12 million € and guarantees 10.6 GWh / year of energy savings (equivalent to 54% of previous consumption), around 1,900 tons / year of CO2 savings and 3.4 GWh / year of renewable energy production.
In addition the Consortium implemented an extensive information campaign targeting the civil society, and provided training and materials for potential public replicators.
The Tenders’ Unions, coordinated by SUNIA, organized several meetings with the tenants of Social Housing buildings in order to know their expectations on the retrofits and to inform them about the results of the EPC / ERDF tenders. They also organized a visit in a public housing complex recently renovated, and published a best practices Vademecum about energy-saving home behaviors.
Regione Liguria and IRE implemented information and dissemination activities to guarantee a national/international visibility and a wide potential for replication.
Moreover the Consortium started many proactive synergies with other European projects, and carried out a communication campaign through media and promotional events.
