Information on best energy efficiency practices

Several European municipalities and regions have already committed themselves to the principles of the passive house (maximum heating and cooling requirements of 15 kWh/m²a in new buildings). The experiences of these regions, or PassREgs, have helped pave the way for other UE regions to reach the 2020 energy targets. Border regions that had implemented effective and cost-effective strategies were highlighted.

The project aims to support the creation of bioenergy regions that will provide at least one third of the heating and electricity requirements through local and sustainable sources of bioenergy, particularly solid biomass.

While the EU may be made up of 28 Member States, the number of islands within the union runs into the thousands, dotted around the seas of the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean. While climate and cultures may vary, many of the issues faced by these islands – such as achieving energy efficiency – are much the same.

The province of Alicante has a strong commitment with the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy European Initiative and is it recognized as Covenant Coordinator by the Commission. As such the province puts its resources and know-how at the service of signatories. 138 municipalities are currently adhered in the province of Alicante to the Covenant of Mayors and / or the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.

The Institute for the Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE) has extensive previous experience in managing different aid programs for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Notable are the Action Plans of the Strategy for Energy Savings and Energy Efficiency, 2004-2012, as well as incentive programs on the purchase of an efficient electric vehicle, among others.

In order to implement the European Union climate plan’s objectives within its territory Ireland wished to set up a program to reduce the energy consumption in the public sector through measures supporting a responsible energy use. The aim is to provide innovative solutions for the implementation of projects that meet European objectives.

Carlow County Council consumes approximately 8 million kWh of electricity per year to run all of its operations, equating to a total electricity bill of €1.25 M per year. To reduce the expense and carbon footprint of Carlow County Council, a pilot action was developed.

As a local player, the Plaine Commune, created on 1 January 2016 within the Grand Paris metropolis, set up a Local Energy and Climate Agency (LECA, June 2012) to assist public and private actors in their energy saving and energy rehabilitation. The LECA Intends to contribute to the preservation of natural resources, the implementation of the energy transition and climate adaptation of the Plain Commune area.

REACH project aims to empower energy poor households to take actions to save energy and change their habits in order to improve their living conditions and to establish energy poverty as an issue that demands tailor-made policies and measures at local, national and EU level. The aim of REACH is to contribute to energy poverty abatement at practical and structural level.

Implemented by: Energikontor Sydost AB