Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PEDIA (Promoting Energy efficiency & Developing Innovative Approaches in schools)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-05-01 do 2023-12-31
The large-scale energy renovation of school buildings contains a high perceived investment risk, while the involvement of several actors results in more complex procedures. The EU-funded PEDIA project will contribute towards National and European climate and energy targets by removing legal, administrative, technical and market obstacles. PEDIA will connect a wide range of actions aiming to improve the energy performance and the indoor conditions of at least 25 public school buildings in Cyprus, reaching the nearly-zero-energy building level. Ultimately, the PEDIA project will directly trigger 7.5 M€ in public and private investments and will establish a solid long-term energy renovation strategy for all public-school buildings, by introducing a procedural framework for energy upgrades based on environmental, energy and socioeconomic criteria.
PEDIA introduces a procedural framework for schools’ energy upgrades to meet the NZEB level, by integrating into the existing renovation practices a selection ranking system, energy audits, GPP, and an Innovative Financing Solution. The ranking system which is the first part of the methodology, will assist the Cyprus MoESY in the selection of schools for energy upgrades, based on environmental, energy, educational and socioeconomic criteria.
It is noted that the ranking system was built to be highly adjustable, facilitating its utilisation for similar tasks, such as large-scale energy renovations of public buildings of different types. This task is followed by the pilots’ selection, and ranking of the schools to identify the 50+5 top-priority schools as a first ranking step.
The project partners then proceeded with technical on-site visits at the 50+5 schools, which were used to collect additional data to complete the ranking system and finalise the list with the 25 school buildings to be upgraded, within the framework of the project. After the establishment of the list which includes the schools with the highest score, and thus the highest impact, the energy audits’ results will indicate the cost-optimal energy interventions, which in turn will provide the technical specifications for the Green Public Procurement. Thus, PEDIA began the implementation of Procurement Phase 1, preparing the template of the tender documents for the energy upgrades of the first five schools. In the procedures that were followed during this phase, many barriers occurred, especially in gathering the interest of bidders to participate. Nonetheless, within three months, there was a renouncement of the procurements. Moreover, the first five schools, have been completed and therefore, within the framework of the project PEDIA, the first NZEB schools in Cyprus were successfully delivered. The second phase of procurements will follow.
During the 1st period three focus groups were implemented to engage key stakeholders for mobilizing investments and schemes about EE and RES projects and to create awareness about the existing and potential relevant financial schemes.
During the 2nd Period and following the focus group meeting with the TS, a meeting with the Directorate General Growth, MoF, to discuss the possibility of collaboration regarding the energy upgrades of the schools and investments of the program THALIA 2021-27 Cohesion Policy Funds. During the meeting, it was agreed that THALIA is going to fund up to €20,000,000 for the construction phase of the project PEDIA, with further interest in funding additional schools which are among on the waiting list of the already selected 55 buildings. Communication and Dissemination, runs horizontally throughout the project, and connects with all other activities and WPs. Its specific objectives are to primarily define and implement the Communication and Dissemination Plan that will maximise the impact of the project; then (2) to prepare suitable communication material to promote PEDIA towards targeted audience groups and stakeholders; (3) to ensure that links with other initiatives, projects, networks, and or events are established, maximising efficiency and effectiveness of activities and outcomes; and (4) to promote capacity building, by gathering a community from both public and private sectors around the project’s initiative. Afterall, this Plan deals with all the activities related to the dissemination, sharing, awareness, and communication of the project’s outcomes, with particular attention to the school users and the key-actors. Media dissemination activities have been initiated. The activities include a promotional video. A radio spot has also been created and is currently being used by the media. PEDIA project was presented at the peer learning service of Interreg Europe to help the region of Western Thessaly to develop their own projects and initiatives on the 26th of October. An article has been prepared for the project’s aspirations and objectives, and submitted on the 13th of November, to FEDARENE’s bulletin. The article was published on the 30th of November 2020. PEDIA project was presented at FEDERANE’s General Assembly event, on the 26th of November, in the ‘Networking Café Estaminet’session. On June [16-06-22], CEA presented the project at the National Parliamentary Workshop organized by EUFORES with the parliament of Cyprus conference was organized in the framework on RES and EE and was attended by representatives of the Parliament.In June [22-06-22], CEA presented the project at the conference organized by the partners of the “Sinergein” project [Interreg Greece-Cyprus]. The conference was organized in the framework of the outcomes of the project about Public Procurement and was attended by representatives of the Public Authorities and Local Authorities. In addition, PEDIA was in Fedarene’s Info n°53, "Focus on energy data, essential for buildings’ renovation". The MoECSY, hosted the second Press Conference, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. During the conference, the General Director of the Ministry, the President of CEA’s Board Directors, Savvas Vlachos and Aravella Zachariou as well, present and announced the Second Phase of the PEDIA program. In June [21-06-23], CEA presented the project at an event that was organized by the University of Cyprus in the framework the Sustainable Days. CEA presented the purpose of the project, the objectives, and the procurement phase 1. In addition, the main investments of the projects were presented as well. PEDIA was presented as a good practice in another three seminars within the framework of EU projects. Specifically, the project Upgreat which is funded by EUKI and the project TRANSIT is funded by EU under Horizon Europe, held a series of training engineers and technicians about energy upgrades.
It is noted that the ranking system was built to be highly adjustable, facilitating its utilisation for similar tasks, such as large-scale energy renovations of public buildings of different types. This task is followed by the pilots’ selection, and ranking of the schools to identify the 50+5 top-priority schools as a first ranking step.
The project partners then proceeded with technical on-site visits at the 50+5 schools, which were used to collect additional data to complete the ranking system and finalise the list with the 25 school buildings to be upgraded, within the framework of the project. After the establishment of the list which includes the schools with the highest score, and thus the highest impact, the energy audits’ results will indicate the cost-optimal energy interventions, which in turn will provide the technical specifications for the Green Public Procurement. Thus, PEDIA began the implementation of Procurement Phase 1, preparing the template of the tender documents for the energy upgrades of the first five schools. In the procedures that were followed during this phase, many barriers occurred, especially in gathering the interest of bidders to participate. Nonetheless, within three months, there was a renouncement of the procurements. Moreover, the first five schools, have been completed and therefore, within the framework of the project PEDIA, the first NZEB schools in Cyprus were successfully delivered. The second phase of procurements will follow.
During the 1st period three focus groups were implemented to engage key stakeholders for mobilizing investments and schemes about EE and RES projects and to create awareness about the existing and potential relevant financial schemes.
During the 2nd Period and following the focus group meeting with the TS, a meeting with the Directorate General Growth, MoF, to discuss the possibility of collaboration regarding the energy upgrades of the schools and investments of the program THALIA 2021-27 Cohesion Policy Funds. During the meeting, it was agreed that THALIA is going to fund up to €20,000,000 for the construction phase of the project PEDIA, with further interest in funding additional schools which are among on the waiting list of the already selected 55 buildings. Communication and Dissemination, runs horizontally throughout the project, and connects with all other activities and WPs. Its specific objectives are to primarily define and implement the Communication and Dissemination Plan that will maximise the impact of the project; then (2) to prepare suitable communication material to promote PEDIA towards targeted audience groups and stakeholders; (3) to ensure that links with other initiatives, projects, networks, and or events are established, maximising efficiency and effectiveness of activities and outcomes; and (4) to promote capacity building, by gathering a community from both public and private sectors around the project’s initiative. Afterall, this Plan deals with all the activities related to the dissemination, sharing, awareness, and communication of the project’s outcomes, with particular attention to the school users and the key-actors. Media dissemination activities have been initiated. The activities include a promotional video. A radio spot has also been created and is currently being used by the media. PEDIA project was presented at the peer learning service of Interreg Europe to help the region of Western Thessaly to develop their own projects and initiatives on the 26th of October. An article has been prepared for the project’s aspirations and objectives, and submitted on the 13th of November, to FEDARENE’s bulletin. The article was published on the 30th of November 2020. PEDIA project was presented at FEDERANE’s General Assembly event, on the 26th of November, in the ‘Networking Café Estaminet’session. On June [16-06-22], CEA presented the project at the National Parliamentary Workshop organized by EUFORES with the parliament of Cyprus conference was organized in the framework on RES and EE and was attended by representatives of the Parliament.In June [22-06-22], CEA presented the project at the conference organized by the partners of the “Sinergein” project [Interreg Greece-Cyprus]. The conference was organized in the framework of the outcomes of the project about Public Procurement and was attended by representatives of the Public Authorities and Local Authorities. In addition, PEDIA was in Fedarene’s Info n°53, "Focus on energy data, essential for buildings’ renovation". The MoECSY, hosted the second Press Conference, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. During the conference, the General Director of the Ministry, the President of CEA’s Board Directors, Savvas Vlachos and Aravella Zachariou as well, present and announced the Second Phase of the PEDIA program. In June [21-06-23], CEA presented the project at an event that was organized by the University of Cyprus in the framework the Sustainable Days. CEA presented the purpose of the project, the objectives, and the procurement phase 1. In addition, the main investments of the projects were presented as well. PEDIA was presented as a good practice in another three seminars within the framework of EU projects. Specifically, the project Upgreat which is funded by EUKI and the project TRANSIT is funded by EU under Horizon Europe, held a series of training engineers and technicians about energy upgrades.
The upgrade of the energy efficiency of 25 schools to reach the NZEB level, with investments will begin the implementation in the second semester of 2022. Specifically, 5 schools out of 25 will have the first energy efficiency investments. After the procurement of the 1st phase, the second procurement phase will be initiated.
The PEDIA project aims at bringing together state funding, and private funding, to trigger sustainable energy investments in school buildings. The activities foreseen in WP2 and WP3 will bring together PEDIA partners, MoECSY, and key stakeholders, in developing an IFS, as well as the long-term relevant to stress the efforts to activate IFS for schools’ energy upgrades, have been made by the MoECSY and CEA.
The PEDIA project aims at bringing together state funding, and private funding, to trigger sustainable energy investments in school buildings. The activities foreseen in WP2 and WP3 will bring together PEDIA partners, MoECSY, and key stakeholders, in developing an IFS, as well as the long-term relevant to stress the efforts to activate IFS for schools’ energy upgrades, have been made by the MoECSY and CEA.