ATJAUNOJAMĀ ENERĢIJA ENERGOEFEKTIVITĀTE

European cooperation boosts 174 Million Euro investments in energy efficiency in public buildings

16.02.2017

On Thursday 9 February 2017, the Steering Committee of the European EnPC-INTRANS project gathered in Velenje/Slovenia. The international experts reported about 174 Million Euro new investments in energy efficiency performance contracts upcoming in public buildings in Croatia, Germany, Slovenia and Romania. 27 new EPC contracts were already signed during the past two years and another 20 EPC projects are currently in different stages of project preparation.

 

The EnPC-INTRANS project is supported by the EU programme Horizon 2020 and involves partners from Croatia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. The objective of the project is to provide experts and stakeholders in these countries with information and know-how on how to apply energy performance contracting (EPC) in public buildings. Information and training materials developed by the partners are available in English and the nine partners’ languages from www.enpc-intrans.eu.

More than 3,000 times during the past two years experts and stakeholders from nine European countries decided to participate in information and training activities organized by the project partners. In their feedback the beneficiaries of the project indicate 27 new EPC contracts signed, and another 20 EPC projects in preparation in Germany, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia and Ukraine. Further projects are reported to be in the pipeline of project beneficiaries in Greece, Latvia, Serbia and Slovakia. Particpants in the project activities support in different capacities the initiation, planning and promotion of these investments. Projects involve all types of public buildings and building pools from large university or hospital complexes to administration buildings, public swimming pools, or schools and kindergartens. Energy savings in the range of up to 80 GWh per year are expected to result from these investments. This would be equivalent to the total annual electricity consumption of twenty to twenty five thousand private households in Germany.

The positive feedback EnPC-INTRANS received from participating experts and stakeholders is a proof that European cooperation on energy efficiency may create a substantial impact in shaping the energy future of Europe in line with the European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) of 2012 and the European Buildings Performance Directive (EPBD) of 2010. These European Directives particularly emphasize the mandate of the public sector to perform as a role model for the consequent implementation of energy efficiency measures in buildings. European cooperation on EPC in public buildings also contributes to the European Commission's 2011 Energy Roadmap which aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% compared to 1990 by 2050.

Public authorities are motivated but may lack funds for investments in the energy efficient rehabilitation of public buildings. Cooperation with private investors and with qualified energy service companies (ESCOs) in EPC business models may help overcoming this barrier. Trust in long-term business relations based on EPC models is however still weak among both public building owners and private investors.

The starting point for EPC in public buildings, creating trust in EPC business models in particular in emerging markets like Ukraine, may be so-called EPC light models based on service concepts avoiding large-scale investments in the first step. EPC light projects usually pay back within only 2-4 years from guaranteed energy savings.

In more advanced markets like Slovenia, EPC plus concepts may apply: energy efficiency measures are embedded into comprehensive renovation packages. Those packages may include the reshaping and thermal insulation of the building envelope, the rehabilitation of structures, the modernization of interiors and the replacement of installed facilities. Such comprehensive investment packages do usually not pay back only from guaranteed energy savings within an acceptable period of time. Integration of EPC models into investment plans may nevertheless help reducing the financial burden and the investment risk of building owners. ESCOs may guarantee the achievement of a certain level of energy savings as well as the proper installation, operation and maintenance of installed facilities during the EPC contract duration and beyond.

New investments triggered during the two years of EnPC-INTRANS project duration include all types of EPC business models. Project partners agree that, when successfully implemented, the new projects may serve as good practice examples. They will help triggering further dissemination and replication of EPC business models in public buildings, thus creating a new push for the further market uptake of energy performance contracting in the public building sector.

 

Contact address:

More information: www.enpc-intrans.eu

 

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