During the 2 day meeting the mayors will learn why and how Växjö’s vision could have been and will be implemented that successfully. Furthermore they will be presented exemplary energy efficiency measures and solutions in the fields of transport, heat/cooling generation and – distribution, public participation and future strategies that have already been carried out by the city, such as:

Cycle lanes/ boxes
Most CO₂ emissions arise in the transport sector. That is why the city fosters the  use of bicycles. A map illustrates the 150 km of cycle paths.

Free parking – for biogas, REM, DME, electrical and hybrid cars
This is an incentive to encourage people to use environmentally friendlier cars.

Bus station – biogas bus
The buses in Växjö are run with biogas produced in the sewage treatment plant in Växjö. 

District cooling from biomass
At the local combined heat and power plant district cooling is produced from biomass combustion. By absorption chillers cooling is extracted from the heat and pipelined to the end user, for example the hospital.

First electricity production 1887
After New York and London Växjö was the third place in the world where the production of electricity by a power plant with steam engines started in 1887.

Solar thermal on Swimming Pool
The solarthermal collectors on the roof of the swimming hall produce sufficient heat to heat up the water for the showers.

Passive houses and energy efficient wooden houses
The eight-storey high wooden houses at Välle Broar do not consume less energy than other buildings, the houses also have a function as a carbon sink.

Apart from visiting good practice examples on energy efficiency in the city the study trip to Växjö enables the mayors to talk to local politicians and to discuss pros and cons on Växjö’s visionary concept.

At the end of the study trip the participating mayors should be inspired by the measures and activities carried out in Växjö to implement similar approaches and policies in their communities and counties.

Further information on the policy maker exchange’s programme and concept as well as on the city of Växjö, the energy agency and VEAB in English and German is available on the EnercitEE website under the document section.

The conference main objective was to promote knowledge and exchange of experience as well as present good practices, which influence efficient and sustainable use of energy and environmental resources. It was attended by over 50 participants from local and regional authorities and public institutions.

The conference was launched with a general description of the EnercitEE mini-programme. Afterwards three sub-projects with Polish partners, RIEEB, LEEAN and PRATLA were presented respectively by the representatives of the municipalities of Jelcz-Laskowice, Bielawa and KARR Development Agency, who underlined great benefits gained from their partnership in an international project on energy efficiency.

Mr Bartłomiej Ostrowski, the head of the Marshal's Office International Unit for Cooperation and Projects, is addressing the audience.

The other part was dedicated to the promotion of the Covenant of Mayors initiative – a European network for authorities inspired to practically reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by the year of 2020. Mr Gabor Nagy of the European Commission, which politically widely supports the network as a much praised bottom-up approach, provided an insightful view into the specifics and progress of the idea so far. He was followed by the representatives of two Lower Silesian municipalities, Bielawa and Dzierżoniów, discussing their experiences of taking part in the Covenant of Mayors and the things they managed to attain. At this point the participants could ask questions.

Mr Jerzy Tutaj, the member of the board of the region.

The conference was concluded with a good practice description of thermal refurbishment of a large regional health centre building featuring solar panels on the roof. As thermal refurbishment of existing buildings is still the most popular way to improve energy efficiency among Polish authorities (and might be a part of a Sustainable Energy Action Plan, SEAP), it should be noted that an increasing number of such investments is extended by some RES installation. Finally different financing opportunities from the Intelligent Energy – Europe programme were presented. The programme still has some free funds available for institutions wishing to join the Covenant of Mayors.

From 01 December 2011 to 25 January 2012 mayors throughout Saxony were welcome to apply for taking part in the study trip. Therefore mayors of the Saxon municipalities needed to describe implemented or planned measures regarding future energy supply in the municipality as well as his/her expectations on and motivation for participating in the study trip. Out of the 27 received applications the jury consisting of representatives of the Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology, the Saxon State Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture and Saxon Energy Agency (SAENA GmbH), selected 16 mayors that will go to Växjö.

During the study trip the mayors will learn about the strategy of Växjö, visit good practices in the city and talk to local politicians on energy efficiency, CO2 and energy balancing and the impact on the regional economic cycle. Apart from this the participating mayors will have the opportunity to exchange experiences with mayors from the other EnercitEE regions Haute-Savoie, Emilia-Romagna and Lower Silesia.

At the end of the study trip the participating mayors should be inspired by the visionary concept of Växjö to implement similar approaches and policies in their communities and counties.
Mr Frank Kupfer, Saxon State Minister of the Environment and Agriculture will welcome all Saxon mayors back and will look forward to listen to what the mayors have learned during the study visit.

During the meeting LEEAN’s Sub-Project Participants presented the progress of the sub-project in the region. Among others the partners discussed what has happened so far and what needs still to be done, outputs that are already achieved and outputs that are planned and also the budget planning issue has been raised. 

The LSPP – SAENA presented general facts on the status of the project after the first two semesters. Further issues such as the project management (coordination and reporting, financial management), future targets and tasks, communication outputs such as project website, newsletter and brochures as well as the activities for the first semester in 2012 have been discussed.

During the second day of the mid-term meeting, the participants attended two study visits. First, Lena Eckerberg (ESS)presented the Swedish system of Climate and Energy advisors. The topic of the presentation was energy advice (free of charge energy and climate advice for Swedish citizens on heating systems, district heating, biofuels, energy costs, government grants in the field of energy, etc.) On the second study visit the participants had the possibility to visit an example of renovated old apartment block in order to lower the energy and repairing/renovating costs. The study visit has been organised by Mr Ulf Bernefalk (HSB Sydost).

The meeting was very fruitful. The next meeting will take place in France probably in the period between September and November 2012.

PraTLA  has found more than 30 students so far that carry out practical trainings in local authorities helping cities to assess certain aspects of local energy performance or to set up, update and even improve energy strategies. Steffi Hänig a student from Zittau/Görlitz university of Applied Science even assessed local CO2 balancing systems in an interregional comparison when she made an internship at the Energy Agency for South East Sweden in Oskarshamn. The different approaches of Smaland (Kalmar and Kronober)/Blekinge and Saxony that have been identified during her six months training could help to improve both calculations systems in various ways.

Especially in Lower Silesia the sub-project had an enormous impact reports Polish project partner Natalia Janik. Seven students in the region literally set up the first strategic energy plans in their municipalities.
In Haute-Savoie, PraTLA helped both students and local authorities in the sub-project to better grasp local energy saving potential and use of energy efficiency technologies. Three students from IER university in Poisy gave an insight into their work assessing energy consumption and potential measures in different sectors in the village of Scionzier.

Participants of the PraTLA sub-project meeting on 3rd Feb 2012 in Annecy

For more information, please contact SHaenig@hs-zigr.de.

Le 20 décembre 2010, l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies a proclamé 2012 Année internationale de l’énergie durable pour tous.

Du global… 

Cette Année Internationale de l’Energie Durable pour Tous représente une opportunité unique de sensibiliser le plus grand nombre à l’importance d’encourager à tous les niveaux l’efficience énergétique, l’accès durable à l’énergie, et l’énergie renouvelable. L’accès à l’énergie, en particulier l’énergie durable, dans les pays en développement permet entre autres :

• de générer des revenus – par exemple en utilisant l’énergie solaire pour des pompes solaires ou pour l’électricité d’une petite entreprise;
• de fournir du courant aux cliniques et aux hôpitaux communautaires, par exemple pour les réfrigérateurs où sont stockés les médicaments;
• d’alimenter les téléphones cellulaires qui ont transformé le commerce;
• de réduire le temps accordé à la collecte de bois de chauffe, de rendre plus propres et plus efficaces les options pour la cuisine ou le chauffage;
• de fournir un éclairage pour que les enfants puissent étudier après la tombée de la nuit;
• de créer de nouvelles opportunités pour les entrepreneurs pour le fonctionnement de leurs entreprises…

… au local !

Face à ces enjeux, nous pouvons tous, à notre niveau, agir pour une énergie durable. Alors  profitons de cette occasion pour se rappeler les eco gestes que nous pouvons adopter au quotidien et les choix que pouvons faire pour mieux consommer. 

J’utilise malin !

• Je baisse le chauffage de 3-4 degrés pour aller rider, 19° suffisent le jour et 17° la nuit. 1 degré de moins = 7% d’économie d’énergie;
• Chauffage collectif : tourne le bouton du radiateur au lieu d’ouvrir la fenêtre !
• J’éteins la lumière quand je quitte la pièce ou j’habille mes murs et plafonds de couleurs clairs : elles réfléchissent mieux la lumière et permettent de moins recourir à l’éclairage artificiel
• Je débranche les chargeurs de portable inutilisés, et j’évite de laisser en veille télé, PC, …etc. En France tous les appareils laissés en veille représentent l’équivalent de l’éclairage public du pays.

Je consomme autrement !

• Je divise ma consommation d’énergie par 3 ou plus en achetant des produits signalés par la lettre A, A+ voire même A++ sur l’étiquette énergie.
• Je remplace les ampoules usagées et les néons qui consomment 5 fois moins d’énergie, par des ampoules basses consommation.
• J’améliore  l’isolation thermique de mon logement.
• Je choisis un fournisseur d’energie verte ! 

Les professionnels aussi doivent agir : 

• Education – Sensibilisation : j’organise des journées de sensibilisation dans les établissements scolaires, en bas des pistes ou sur les pistes ; j’organise des soirées thématiques, des conférences,… etc. ou j’adhère au programme Montagne d’Eco Gestes.
• Je développe une politique de rénovation des bâtiments et d’optimisation des consommations (bâtiment HQE, bâtiment à énergie positive,…etc.)

Des actions concrètes en faveur de l’efficacité énergétique ?!

Dans le cadre du programme européen EnercitEE, Mountain Riders avec ses partenaires italiens et polonais travaillent en collaboration sur le projet ActEE. ActEE vise à promouvoir et échanger des exemples de bonnes pratiques concernant l’efficacité energétique.

Comment ? En développant un « kit d’outils de communication » afin de sensibiliser et d’accompagner les citoyens à la sobriété énergétique. Mises à disposition gratuitement via notre site internet, des bonnes pratiques visant à inciter le public et les professionnels à adopter de nouveaux comportements… Le tout de manière ludique et positive avec des outils innovants et scientifiques !

2012, une année de choix engagés ! Alors ensemble passons à l’action

The meeting was the “starting point” of the climate adaptation work in the municipality of Växjö. The intention of the meeting was to inform about regional climate changes and how we plan to work with the adaptation plan/process, as well as to inform about the CLIPART-project that we participate in.

Checklist: Good to have at home

The County Administrative Board (CAB) was invited to inform more about climate changes and the effects of climate change. At the request of CAB, the Swedish metrological and hydrological institute (SMHI) has performed a regional analysis of climate changes and the overall results of that analysis was presented at the information meeting.

A workshop, where all participants vividly discussed the effects of climate changes in the different municipal functions, ended the meeting.

The EnercitEE sub-project CLIPART organized a workshop in Växjö, Sweden, 27-28 October 2011, gathering 10 participants from five countries. The meeting was the second workshop within the CLIPART project and it was truly a working meeting.

Impression from the meeting

Lots of time was dedicated to the issue of collecting and structuring of good examples of climate mitigation and climate adaptation in a database. These good examples are one of the most important parts of the project’s initial report to be done before the end of the year. Furthermore, the work of the second year was also discussed at the meeting. The City of Växjö, which will focus on climate adaptation within CLIPART, held a presentation about the work done so far, including describing how a climate adaptation plan will be developed.

After a very rewarding meeting, the participants were invited to a study tour by bike, visiting different climate mitigation and climate adaptation sites in Växjö.

Study trip by bike

Impression from the kick-off meeting

Each participant (CISA, Saxon Energy Agency – SAENA GmbH and District of Olawa) shortly presented itself and the projects already carried out. Many subjects were discussed, all of them listed on a meeting agenda agreed in advance, dealing especially with the overall objective of FIPREC which is to contribute to solving the applicative problems in public-private partnership and project financing, which have arisen in the energy sector interventions, especially where the financial return require a long time.

During the meeting it came out the great importance of the exchange of experiences as a powerful instrument to suggest new financial instruments, by potential and requirements of energy saving contracting.

Then each participant was able to present its own sub-project ideas. Challenges and opportunities have been discussed and further information provided. Deadlines and responsibilities were assigned to all partners.

Furthermore, at the end of meeting, CISA showed other SPP the Civic Center in Porretta Terme as an example of energy efficient building.

Visit at Civic Center in Porretta Terme

Impression from the meeting

The next FIPREC meeting will take place in Dresden (Saxony) at the end of April 2012.