The heat is on: district energy in Poland
As sustainable energy moves up the political agenda, low carbon solutions for heating and cooling are coming to the fore. Every year, almost 50% of the total energy consumed in Europe is used for the generation of heat for domestic or industrial purposes. There is an emerging consensus on what could be a big part of the solution here, with the International Energy Agency recently citing co-generation and district heating as ‘an essential part of strategies for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and energy security.’
Close to 16 million Polish citizens are served by district heating, representing 41 % of the population. However, rehabilitation of the existing transmission and distribution network is urgently required (as almost half of the distribution network is older than 20 years). More than half the heat supplied to the network is produced through traditional installations, consequently there is potential for 25-30% fuel savings by developing heat production in combined heat and power plants.
Transnational Agreement of Cooperation between Energy competence centres
One of the core outputs of the VIS NOVA project is a Transnational Agreement of Cooperation between Energy competences centres. The agreement is based on activities of Energy competence centres established in regions participating in VIS NOVA project (energieZENTRUM, South Transdanubien Area and Economic Development Nonprofit Ltd, Agricultural Technical School Tulln, School Complex nr 1 named after Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Technische Werke Delitzsch GmbH). The purpose of this agreement is to create a common projects platform and exchange the technologies and the experience of transnational partner regions' actors beyond VIS NOVA project lifetime. To achieve these goals Energy competence centres are obliged to maintain the contact between each other via common IT platform and promote institutional exchanges by inviting staff of the partner institutions to participate in a variety of activities, study tours, seminars and conferences. The obligations under the agreement include the exchange information and achievements, providing consultations and financial guidance at each institution as well as working on common proposals and projects in the most suitable cooperation fields.
Transnational Sustainable Energy Strategy
The VIS NOVA project, which started in May 2011, is part of the Central Europe program and has the objective of strengthening the energy independence of local authorities. Rising energy prices cause, that security of supply and affordable energy as well as its efficient use became a key competitive advantage and location factor. At this point VIS NOVA starts off with an integrated approach which includes enterprises, municipalities and households. Feasibility studies will be developed for each area, investments will be prepared and demonstration projects realised . The transnational cooperation enables transfer of good approaches and the exchange of experiences. During international congresses the results will be communicated and transferred. Through the outputs from the project, the value creation in rural areas and thus employment shall be promoted. Five partner regions from four EU countries came together to jointly implement this project (Saxony - Düben Heath / DE, Schwäbisch-Hall / DE, Micro-region Tullnerfeld West / AT, Małopolska / PL, South-Transdanubia / HU).
What was the most important in implementation of Renergy project?
3 years of Renergy implementation coming to the end. Besides many tools prepared by project partners (materials for stakeholders, local and model implementation plan, good practices guidebook and more, all available at www.renergyproject.eu), for more personal reception of project implementation, partners answered the question: What was the most important in implementation of Renergy project? Their answers will be soon presented as a movie.
Change in the position of Executive Director in The Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
We are pleased to inform you that there has been a change on the position of the Executive Director in our Association.
On the 1st of October, Mrs. Anna Jaskuła was appointed by the Board for the position of the Executive Director and Mrs. Maria Stankiewicz will become the Director’s Advisor.
Congratulations!
The PNEC team
Kisielice wins ManagEnergy Award 2014: a shining example for other Polish communities
This summer, the community of Kisielice – in 2010 the winner of Polish RES Champions League in the biomass cathegory - won the European Commission’s ManagEnergy Award 2014, the top prize for outstanding local and regional sustainable energy projects. Mayor Tomasz Koprowiak received the Award during the EU Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels. Kisielice, a small community in the province of Warmia-Mazury, is a pioneer of local sustainable energy - setting an example for other communities in Poland and across Europe.
EU Sustainable Energy Week 2014
Do you organise an event on sustainable energy in June? Be promoted by the EU Sustainable Energy Week 2014!
EUSEW2014, an initiative of the European Commission, is the leading event on sustainable energy in Europe. The 9th edition takes place in June. Your organisation, company, NGO, municipality or region can profit from the promotion by the EUSEW platform.
Meet the Ambassadors of the Polish Covenant of Mayors Dialogue Platform!
We are pleased to present you the Ambassadors of the Polish Covenant of Mayors Dialogue Platform, which was created within the framework of the NET-COM project implemented by our Association in the period 2011-2013.
The role of the Ambassadors is to promote climate protection and the Covenant of Mayors initiative, as well as to represent the CoM signatories in the country and abroad. Among the Ambassadors there are representatives of six cities and municipalities active in the field of sustainable energy, who are also members of our Association: Bielawa, Częstochowa, Dzierżoniów, Gniewino, Lubin and Raciechowice.
Recommendations and tips available on-line at the Green Twinning helpdesk
We warmly invite all signatories of the Covenant of Mayors and local authorities interested in this initiative to use HELPDESK created within the framework of the Green Twinning Project and available on-line in English.
The project partners (EXERGIA, SEC, PNEC ZRMK and AER) offer via HELPDESK the technical support and guidance for the development of successful SEAPs and implementation of specific actions in the field of energy efficiency and use of RES implemented under the Covenant of Mayors.
RENERGY Holds Mid-Term Conference in Worms
Renewable energy experts from across Europe gathered in Worms, Germany for the Mid-Term Conference and 4th Steering Group Meeting of the RENERGY project on 10-11th October.