Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EXCITE (Award Excellence, Invest in Trust: Tailored Energy Management Services for East European Local Authorities)
Período documentado: 2020-09-01 hasta 2022-02-28
The goal of the EXCITE project is to apply the well-established energy management scheme of the European Energy Award (eea) in Central and Eastern European municipalities, enabling them to become trusted partners to the investors and to engage local communities for deliberate climate action. This, on its end, will help attract new innovative businesses to the involved cities and municipalities and will intensify the local economies, supporting them in the surge for better living standard and maintaining young and vibrant communities proactively contributing to the energy transition. Through applying the methodology the eea initiative, the project will enhance the implementation of energy efficiency measures at local level through securing the necessary technical, economic and social conditions for attracting of private investors, promoting public entrepreneurship and successful leveraging of the scarce public resources.
As achievement this goal requires broad public support, the project will invest significant efforts in developing interface capacities for engagement with the civil society and incentivize local communities to proactively use the available opportunities, becoming a driving force in the European energy transition. The actions will also support the implementation of the Covenant of Mayors, enabling more municipalities to join the initiative and serving as major data input and result monitoring tool for the actual implementation of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) of the involved municipalities. Last but not least, the embracing of the eea methodology will become the basis of an action-oriented peer learning platform, transferring experience and know-how from already well-developed Austrian, Swiss and French municipalities but also enabling peer to peer learning between cities in Eastern Europe, gradually shifting to more sustainable practices in their economic and social development.
As achievement this goal requires broad public support, the project will invest significant efforts in developing interface capacities for engagement with the civil society and incentivize local communities to proactively use the available opportunities, becoming a driving force in the European energy transition. The actions will also support the implementation of the Covenant of Mayors, enabling more municipalities to join the initiative and serving as major data input and result monitoring tool for the actual implementation of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) of the involved municipalities. Last but not least, the embracing of the eea methodology will become the basis of an action-oriented peer learning platform, transferring experience and know-how from already well-developed Austrian, Swiss and French municipalities but also enabling peer to peer learning between cities in Eastern Europe, gradually shifting to more sustainable practices in their economic and social development.
During the initial phase of the project activities, the responsible national partners in the three eea pilots, Bulgaria, Slovenia and North Macedonia set up the institutional framework and the eaa toolbox at national level. The dedicated action lead to the development of recommendations on eea integration with the SECAP reporting process, supported by the eea online energy management tool (D2.1 Analytical report and recommendations on eea integration with SECAP’s, followed by a report on the design and setup of national eea programmes and organisational structures (D2.2). A detailed guide for the Assessment Guidance’s adaptation was created to support and ease the national adaptations. Subsequently, taking into consideration the actual scope of action and needs in the selected pilot municipalities (3 per country), the eea catalogue and assessment guidance was translated to Slovenian, Bulgarian and Macedonian. In each municipality, up to 4 experts (eea consultants/advisors) were successfully selected and trained by the end of 2021.
Several supportive activities have been completed in parallel to the main project activities. A review of business and financing models relevant to eea methodology (D 3.1 Toolbox for innovative business models) was completed, featuring the analysed financing programmes accessible in the 5 participating countries, along with potential innovative financial schemes (including crowd funding and energy communities). Furthermore, civil engagement strategies for the pilot municipalities were prepared (D4.2 Local civil engagement strategies) incorporating a review of existing civil engagement strategies and best practices from Smart Cities and Communities actions and Covenant of Mayors with reference to the eea methodology.
In addition, the results from the CoME EASy project related to the compatibility between the eea and the Covenant of Mayors’ SECAP methodology were used in two trainings in Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Ukraine, addressing CoM signatories. To encourage the application of eea methodology a review of the existing capacity building programmes and training materials regarding eea was performed (D5.1 Training programmes available off- and on-line). An e-learning course for further training for the energy managers and relevant departments in using eea as an energy management tool was developed in the Moodle platform, which will be operational for the peer-to-peer activities that will follow in the implementation phase of the project. The online learning platform will also be used to involve stakeholders in terms of methodology and feedback, as well as these strategies implemented in pilot municipalities.
Several supportive activities have been completed in parallel to the main project activities. A review of business and financing models relevant to eea methodology (D 3.1 Toolbox for innovative business models) was completed, featuring the analysed financing programmes accessible in the 5 participating countries, along with potential innovative financial schemes (including crowd funding and energy communities). Furthermore, civil engagement strategies for the pilot municipalities were prepared (D4.2 Local civil engagement strategies) incorporating a review of existing civil engagement strategies and best practices from Smart Cities and Communities actions and Covenant of Mayors with reference to the eea methodology.
In addition, the results from the CoME EASy project related to the compatibility between the eea and the Covenant of Mayors’ SECAP methodology were used in two trainings in Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Ukraine, addressing CoM signatories. To encourage the application of eea methodology a review of the existing capacity building programmes and training materials regarding eea was performed (D5.1 Training programmes available off- and on-line). An e-learning course for further training for the energy managers and relevant departments in using eea as an energy management tool was developed in the Moodle platform, which will be operational for the peer-to-peer activities that will follow in the implementation phase of the project. The online learning platform will also be used to involve stakeholders in terms of methodology and feedback, as well as these strategies implemented in pilot municipalities.
The pilot phase in three municipalities per country (Sofia, Dobrich and Gabrovo in Bulgaria; Karposh, Kochani, and Kichevo in North Macedonia; Celje, Velenje and Slovenj Gradec in Slovenia) has already been launched, as the initial energy and climate review is in progress. As per the already advanced countries, the eea process continues in the cities of Cluj-Napoca, Zalau, Deva, Turda, Iasi, and Alba Iulia in Romania, and Sievierodonetsk, Trostyanets, Myrhorod, Chortkiv, Novovolynsk in Ukraine. In many of the pilot municipalities, there newly developed or already existing planning documents are providing the basis for evaluation and will be a subject of discussion and amendments in collaboration with the local experts and policy makers. In some of the cities, the streamlining of the planning and energy management process is yielding definite results, as besides successful performance in the EU City Facility initiative, 4 of the EXCITE pilot were selected in the 100 climate-neutral cities of the EU announced on 28th April 2022: Sofia and Gabrovo from Bulgaria, Cluj-Napoca from Romania, Velenje from Slovenia.
Within this framework, the second half of the project offers active peer learning experiences and local implementation actions, which are expected to result in final eea assessment, and in case of success, awarding of the most progressive pilot cities. Among the immediate implementation actions are a training for local authorities in Cluj-Napoca in July 2022, a study visit in Austria in September 2022, finalisation of pilot evaluations of the participating cities in the autumn of 2022, participation in the eea award ceremony in Luxemburg and in the EUSEW (subject to approval) in October 2022, and many local events, information about which will be available in the social media channels of the project and the national project partners.
In the long-term, the implementation of the eea methodology is expected to serve as a basis for an action-oriented peer learning platform, transferring experience and know-how from well-developed EU municipalities, and enabling peer to peer learning between cities in Eastern Europe, with the aim to significantly increase the quality of their strategies, to stimulate proactive local action, and to boost the international reputation of the participating cities, thus attracting innovative businesses and investors. From the point of view of public entrepreneurs, new market opportunities will be enhanced by the application of the energy management methodology and tools and increased recognition of local authorities. In addition, the establishing of a network for connecting active municipalities with training and consultancy services will significantly broaden the market opportunities for eea consultants and qualified energy experts.
Within this framework, the second half of the project offers active peer learning experiences and local implementation actions, which are expected to result in final eea assessment, and in case of success, awarding of the most progressive pilot cities. Among the immediate implementation actions are a training for local authorities in Cluj-Napoca in July 2022, a study visit in Austria in September 2022, finalisation of pilot evaluations of the participating cities in the autumn of 2022, participation in the eea award ceremony in Luxemburg and in the EUSEW (subject to approval) in October 2022, and many local events, information about which will be available in the social media channels of the project and the national project partners.
In the long-term, the implementation of the eea methodology is expected to serve as a basis for an action-oriented peer learning platform, transferring experience and know-how from well-developed EU municipalities, and enabling peer to peer learning between cities in Eastern Europe, with the aim to significantly increase the quality of their strategies, to stimulate proactive local action, and to boost the international reputation of the participating cities, thus attracting innovative businesses and investors. From the point of view of public entrepreneurs, new market opportunities will be enhanced by the application of the energy management methodology and tools and increased recognition of local authorities. In addition, the establishing of a network for connecting active municipalities with training and consultancy services will significantly broaden the market opportunities for eea consultants and qualified energy experts.