Editorial: EnercitEE and exchange of experience

We already have a lot of knowledge and experience concerning how to approach and improve the very different aspects of Energy Efficiency.

We know how to approach certain challenges on a local and regional level. We have experience in policies, actions and tools. We know what is a good strategy for achieving certain goals, and we also know what we should avoid. We have a lot of practical experience in how to build Energy-Efficient buildings, in how to generate and disseminate Energy Efficiently, and in how to organise transport in a more sustainable way. There are innovative solutions for a more Energy-Efficient lifestyle, business and working style. Last but not least, we have experience in how to take people with us as citizens, as well as municipal staff, how they can better understand what each person can do and how they can make a difference.

In all EnercitEE regions, we have different experiences and good practices that are worth sharing. Therefore, EnercitEE places a strong emphasis on the exchange of experiences.

As I am responsible for coordinating EnercitEE’s activities regarding the exchange of experiences, I am very glad to be able to take this opportunity to give you a short overview of our approach and activities.
In the project, we use different ways of exchanging experiences and disseminating them beyond the EnercitEE partnership. This newsletter, handbooks and brochures, our website, study visits, local and regional seminars, and training sessions are all tools for supporting the exchange and eventually the transfer of experiences and good practices. In total,
it is planned to hold over 30 different events dedicated to the exchange of experiences. All activities are accompanied by communication and dissemination activities.

A guide on the good practices from the EnercitEE regions will be published by the end of summer 2011 and covers the following areas of excellence:

• Energy-Efficient buildings
• Energy Efficient heat/power generation and distribution
• Energy Efficiency and sustainable transport
• Emerging Energy-Efficient innovations and technology
• Increasing Energy Efficiency through good communication and motivation

I would like to emphasise again that we need to learn from each other in order to reach the EU 2020 targets. An open mind is certainly needed in our work. Furthermore, we need to set high short-term and long-term targets concerning energy saving. We need to get them accepted and decided upon on the political level. Follow them and have them communicated over the years to get the necessary implementation.

There are already successful tools for the various parts and stages of this process. We just need to get to know them better in order to be able to adapt and apply them in the specific regional context.

                            Hans Gulliksson, EnercitEE’s Component 3 Manager 
                            (responsible for coordinating exchange of experience)