Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SMAFIN (Supporting smart financing implementation for energy efficient Balkan Buildings)
Période du rapport: 2022-03-01 au 2023-08-31
Following the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums’ (SEIFs) past and fruitful experience, SMAFIN project sets up the prosperous ground to connect smart financing with energy efficient Balkan buildings’ renovation as well as energy efficiency projects in industry, SMEs and infrastructure.
The project aims to capitalise the results of SEIFs, a European Commission’s (EC) initiative, and develop recommendations for energy efficiency investments taking into consideration national opportunities and shortcomings and to bridge all supporting initiatives and stakeholders focused on energy efficiency investments.
The project aims to capitalise the results of SEIFs, a European Commission’s (EC) initiative, and develop recommendations for energy efficiency investments taking into consideration national opportunities and shortcomings and to bridge all supporting initiatives and stakeholders focused on energy efficiency investments.
Implementing its vision, which is based on a complete roundtable methodology elaborated during the proposal preparation, the first phases of the project, which are continually enriched and updated during the project lifetime, SMAFIN has already successfully organised the first cycle of national roundtables. The events were online or hybrid, respecting COVID 19 rules, organised in the four partners’ countries– Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania – in order to bring together EU policy makers, national and local authorities, financial, enterprise, construction and academic sector and facilitate thoroughly energy efficiency investments in renovation.
The SMAFIN events owe their success firstly to the extended research of the first phase. During the first project months, SMAFIN consortium has explored and interviewed dozens of key stakeholders to get a better grasp on the current state of affairs in the field of energy efficiency investment in each SMAFIN country. Detailed findings have constituted four technical reports: “Previous Initiatives analysis”, “Market analysis report”, “Best practices report” and “Selection of policy measures to be redesigned” and their key points have provided input for the Roundtables and the E-Platform structure.
Besides, the SMAFIN Working Groups - established at an early stage by the national partners - constantly support the Roundtables. Representatives from public bodies, banks, ESCOs, relative EU projects, real estate, construction companies and others, have joined the Working Groups, aiming to contribute to the preparation of the roundtables as well as drawing their results and following all development in policy and financial sector may occur between the events.
The third core activity of the project is the facilitating SMAFIN platform, operating since the first months of the project, updated almost daily with news, relative tools, initiatives and project results. Under its toolbox, one can find 10 reports, 11 guides, 12 tools, 10 reports, 10 presentations, 10 videos and other material useful for the stakeholders interested in smart financing in buildings’ renovation. The platform includes the e-forum, an area where stakeholders can virtually meet to exchange views and experience aiming to continue dialogue in parallel with SMAFIN events. Moreover, the platform contains a glossary, a table with financial terms translated in the partners’ national languages and factsheets with key results. Campaigns on project social media have been implemented before and after core project activities with outstanding ones the implementation of the roundtables engaging stakeholders all over Europe.
SMAFIN project has succeeded to network with sister HORIZON2020 projects, AUNA and RoundBALTIC, relative projects such as TRIPLE-A, STARTER, PROSPECT and others and relative initiatives as SEIF II as well as important key stakeholders so to advance cross - fertilisation and exchange of views.
SMAFIN consortium has already started working on recommendations for effective policy measures or financial frameworks at national and European level but this is an activity that will be enhanced in the next period.
The SMAFIN events owe their success firstly to the extended research of the first phase. During the first project months, SMAFIN consortium has explored and interviewed dozens of key stakeholders to get a better grasp on the current state of affairs in the field of energy efficiency investment in each SMAFIN country. Detailed findings have constituted four technical reports: “Previous Initiatives analysis”, “Market analysis report”, “Best practices report” and “Selection of policy measures to be redesigned” and their key points have provided input for the Roundtables and the E-Platform structure.
Besides, the SMAFIN Working Groups - established at an early stage by the national partners - constantly support the Roundtables. Representatives from public bodies, banks, ESCOs, relative EU projects, real estate, construction companies and others, have joined the Working Groups, aiming to contribute to the preparation of the roundtables as well as drawing their results and following all development in policy and financial sector may occur between the events.
The third core activity of the project is the facilitating SMAFIN platform, operating since the first months of the project, updated almost daily with news, relative tools, initiatives and project results. Under its toolbox, one can find 10 reports, 11 guides, 12 tools, 10 reports, 10 presentations, 10 videos and other material useful for the stakeholders interested in smart financing in buildings’ renovation. The platform includes the e-forum, an area where stakeholders can virtually meet to exchange views and experience aiming to continue dialogue in parallel with SMAFIN events. Moreover, the platform contains a glossary, a table with financial terms translated in the partners’ national languages and factsheets with key results. Campaigns on project social media have been implemented before and after core project activities with outstanding ones the implementation of the roundtables engaging stakeholders all over Europe.
SMAFIN project has succeeded to network with sister HORIZON2020 projects, AUNA and RoundBALTIC, relative projects such as TRIPLE-A, STARTER, PROSPECT and others and relative initiatives as SEIF II as well as important key stakeholders so to advance cross - fertilisation and exchange of views.
SMAFIN consortium has already started working on recommendations for effective policy measures or financial frameworks at national and European level but this is an activity that will be enhanced in the next period.
Up to now, SMAFIN experience shows that this is an interesting period for energy efficiency investments. National governments have committed to meet European energy and climate goals having at the same time increased available budget compared to previous periods. At the same time, they are obliged to overcome serious barriers as the COVID pandemic and the war implications plus to the specific barriers of the sector.
As it came out, all four countries face similar issues in the field of energy efficiency investments. Stakeholders involved to SMAFIN activities, especially financing and public sector ones, express interest for mature tools to support energy efficiency investments and to increase their confidence and capacity on handling these issues. They also share the conviction that for the EE projects market to flourish, collaborative actions along the entire value-chain have to be carried out – from the project planning stage up to the monitoring phase, using verification and standardisation tools and protocols. Besides, additional efforts are required towards efficient communication and large-scale behaviour change campaigns focused on the application of alternative financing instruments with a reduced grant component, transitioning to market-based financing.
Although there is a consensus that discussions started in roundtables are beneficial for the involved stakeholders, it is evident that politics is of utmost importance if we want to change established methods and translate roundtable conclusions into long-term activities and results. The project’s impact relies on the creation of permanent discussion forums beyond its duration as policymaking is a repetitive process and the continuation of the dialogue is essential.
As it came out, all four countries face similar issues in the field of energy efficiency investments. Stakeholders involved to SMAFIN activities, especially financing and public sector ones, express interest for mature tools to support energy efficiency investments and to increase their confidence and capacity on handling these issues. They also share the conviction that for the EE projects market to flourish, collaborative actions along the entire value-chain have to be carried out – from the project planning stage up to the monitoring phase, using verification and standardisation tools and protocols. Besides, additional efforts are required towards efficient communication and large-scale behaviour change campaigns focused on the application of alternative financing instruments with a reduced grant component, transitioning to market-based financing.
Although there is a consensus that discussions started in roundtables are beneficial for the involved stakeholders, it is evident that politics is of utmost importance if we want to change established methods and translate roundtable conclusions into long-term activities and results. The project’s impact relies on the creation of permanent discussion forums beyond its duration as policymaking is a repetitive process and the continuation of the dialogue is essential.