Partnership for New Energy Leadership 2050

Project Information

PANEL 2050

Grant agreement ID: 696173

DOI

10.3030/696173

Project closed

EC signature date 2 February 2016

Start date 1 March 2016

End date 28 February 2019

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 1 790 500,00

EU contribution

€ 1 790 500,00

Coordinated by

MITTETULUNDUSUHING TARTU REGIOONI ENERGIAAGENTUUR
Estonia

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PANEL 2050 (Partnership for New Energy Leadership 2050)

Reporting period: 2017-09-01 to 2019-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The aim of PANEL 2050 project is to create durable and replicable sustainable energy networks at local (municipality/community) level, where relevant local stakeholders collaborate for the creation of a local energy visions, strategies and action plans for the transition towards low carbon communities in 2050.

PANEL model is a comprehensive approach for implementing local long-term energy management, supported by the community. PANEL model consists of seven main elements: Stakeholder Engagement, Training Program, Guidebook, Long-term Energy Visions/Roadmaps/Action Plans and Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Network CEESEN. After initial implementation, PANEL model can now be used by the forerunners in other regions inside and outside of EU. For more information visit ceesen.org.

Stakeholder Engagement is taking a strategic approach for engaging the community to the local energy management. Stakeholders are invited to participate in the long term energy planning, bringing their knowledge and validation into the process. They are supported by engagement experts and capacity building activities.

Energy Advocacy Training Program will develop the skills of the stakeholders on active participation in sustainable policy development in their communities. Training Program will include the Curriculum in English and the training materials in 10 languages of CEE region. Local trainings are complemented by international Bootcamp for advocacy and networking.

Guidebook on Advocating Sustainable Energy in Central and Eastern Europe is compiling the important topics of energy advocacy and is complementing the training program. Guidebook is available in English and 10 languages of CEE region.

Energy Visions, Roadmaps and Action Plans are the outputs of the long term energy planning process with the aim of plotting the regional transition towards a low-carbon community. These components of a regional energy strategy are developed with the organized support of stakeholders and forerunners that will take the initiative of implementing the plans in the future.

Forerunners can participate in Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Network (CEESEN) using the online platform ceesen.org that will remain the basis for the future cooperation.

PANEL model is designed to be usable in different types of development scenarios. It is designed to help to initiate the full-scale energy transition or it can be useful for enhancing the specific aspects of the transition process (public engagement, energy planning, capacity building). The approach is also usable for organisations with different skills and capacity. It also is scalable, meaning it can be used for improving the sustainability starting with a small group of organisations and repeat the activities later with the bigger community, using the first group as coordinators. During the PANEL 2050 project the model was successfully implemented in small municipalities as well as the big regions with the population of several million inhabitants. The process was guided by organisations with a different size and capacity. Flexibility for different capacity has been one of the guiding principles of the PANEL model.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the initial implementation during PANEL 2050 project the PANEL model has created a network of 2400 members, trained 1300 local stakeholders and established 10 visions, regional roadmaps and 108 action plans. Project has tested its planning model in different levels of governance (municipal, regional, county, national).

CEE Sustainable Energy Network CEESEN has been established with its initial 2400 members using the virtual platform ceesen.org. Aside the online communication, the network has held two international conferences dedicated to energy transition of CEE region (Prague in 2017 and Tartu in 2019) with 150 participants presenting the speakers from regional, national and EU institutions. CEESEN organized energy planning seminar in Brussels as a part of European Sustainable Energy Week EUSEW 2018 to connect with wider European audience.

The visions and roadmaps have sparkled the transition process in 10 Eastern European Regions that have identified the emission reduction of 50 to 85%. Additionally, regions have identified the supporting measures like smart technologies, building renovation end decentralized design.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

More than 100 thousand users from all over Europe were informed for the visioning and planning approach of the PANEL 2050 project through different communication channels. Partners have been actively using the CEESEN platform to not only involve and empower the members of the network, but also to spread news about particular events, trainings, planning process and findings. Project used their communication network to spread the messages of CEESEN to targeted audiences of climate & energy experts, environmental umbrella organizations, specialized media, policy makers and active civil society organizations and citizens. Information has been spread also about current strategic negotiations on EU energy policies and their expected impact on national, regional and local level.

Project partners have reached more than 5000 individual users particularly interested in local energy development - among them businesses, NGOs, customers, entrepreneurs, youth and representatives from local and regional authorities. Decision makers and policy developers were reached via other existing networks of science and research, municipal networks and associations, etc.
Project materials aimed at building capacity of local stakeholders have been translated in 10 national languages in participating countries and disseminated among stakeholders and policy makers, while also made available for future users of CEESEN platform and partner websites.

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