EECU mentoring in PROSPECT Learning Cycle 3

The Mentor ‘EECU - Association "Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine" (UA)’ and Mentees ‘Municipality of Dnipro (UA)’, ‘Municipality of Mykolaiv (UA)’, ‘Municipality of Kropyvnytskyi (UA)’, 'Municipality of Kryvyi Rih (UA)', 'Municipality of Mariupol (UA)', 'Municipality of Melitopol (UA)' and ‘Municipality of Sumi (UA)’ will participate in the 3^rd Cycle of the PROSPECT Learning Programme, constituting the 4^th Group for Public Buildings. The peer learning activities will be focalised on Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). +Mentors' Corner

During Step 1, an online session took take place on the 12^th of June 2019, where Mentor representatives presented their experience in EPC. The mentor presented the project "Improvement of energy efficiency in public buildings of the city of Dnipro using energy-performance contracting". The project aims at creating the suitable conditions for attracting the private investments to energy efficiency from savings and intends to implement thermal refurbishment of 201 public buildings (mainly schools and kindergartens). The project is divided into 2 stages due to the number of objects.

During Step 2 of the Learning Programme, a second online session took place on the 21^st of August 2019 and Mentee representatives had the opportunity to present their own projects, pointing out their special needs as well as the respective sectors in which they intend to gain knowledge and experience.

The Mentees visit Lviv in Ukraine to learn about best practices for EPC in Public Buildings

Step 3 included the physical meeting on 12-13^th of September 2019, where representatives from all the participating cities and regions had the chance to talk in detail about all the stages of their project and become more familiar with clean energy best practices via extensive presentations by the mentor representatives and by targeted site visits.

The presentations started with "EBRD project ”Improving energy efficiency of budget buildings in the city of Dnipro based on EnPC model”, they continued on till the end of the day, which concluded with a group discussion with the whole team participating.

The project implementation unit of Dnipro city Council shares experience in Energy Performance Contracting with Mentees

The second day continued with site visits. On-site to the first public building refurbished within EBRD EnPC project in Dnipro. The list of EE measures includes insulation of walls and roof, installation of the individual heating substation as well as renovation of internal heating system and partial replacement of doors and windows. More than 40 public buildings are under refurbishment.

The first public building refurbished within EBRD EnPC project in Dnipro

The team posing for a group photograph

Quotes from some of the Mentees:

"The PROSPECT training program was well planned. The program considered topical issues of project implementation. Typical problems that may arise during the implementation of the project, as well as ways to solve them were considered. The study tour was very well planned and allowed to learn more about the experience of the city of Dnieper in the implementation of such a project, which can be rethought and transferred to its own project as an example. We are very grateful to the organizers for the training program".

"The training provided new knowledge on fundraising in local budgets for introduction of energy efficient technologies in budget institutions."

"It was interesting to learn the new funding scheme for yourself. However, the timing of implementation is a bit surprising. In such a long period of time it was possible to find one's own sources of financing (city budget or other sources not prohibited). In addition, the list of activities on so many sites (only the establishment of ITR or something else) is surprising. Installation of RTD without thermo-modernization does not give the desired percentage of savings and the risk of undervaluation of remote parts of the premises."

Replication/Transferability

The 4^th and last step of the Programme took place on the 13th of October 2019 and included an online session dedicated to the assessment and evaluation of the peer learning activities.

Detailed action plans were submitted by the mentees, in light of the new acquired knowledge gained from the mentor. Conditions for success and key parameters that could affect negatively the plans were also identified, along with a benchmark survey that encapsulated all the outcomes of the learning group.

Rethinking the financing scheme: