The Province of Girona mentoring in PROSPECT Learning Cycle 2
The Mentor ‘Province of Girona (ES)’ and Mentees ‘Municipality of Taraclia (MD)’, ‘Municipality of Nesebar (BG)’, ‘Municipality of Svilengrad (BG)’ , ‘Municipality of Vila Nova de Poiares (PT)’, ‘Aegean Energy Agency (EL)’ and ‘ALEA - Alba Local Energy Agency (RO)’ will participate in the 2nd Cycle of the PROSPECT Learning Programme, constituting the 2nd Group for Public Lighting. The peer learning activities will be focalised on Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). +Mentors' Corner
During Step 1, an online session took place on the 20th of March 2019, where the Province of Girona presented the project BEenerGi aiming at bundling sustainable energy investments in Girona’s municipalities. SMEs, Local Energy Agencies and the Regional government through an EPC financing scheme have provided support, both technical and financial, to more than 200 municipalities who have signed the Covenant of Mayors and have approved their Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP). More specifically the Province of Girona (DDGI) has helped municipalities to mobilise sustainable energy investments focusing on deployment and implementation of sustainability and efficiency of energy in facilities and buildings of Girona’s Province to obtain substantial savings and to contribute to preserve our environment.
The BEenerGi programme is launching a total amount of 35.25 million € in sustainable energy investments for street lighting investments and public buildings in Girona (Dec 2018), when the original objective was 15.88 million €, thus accelerating public energy investments. This translates in a reduction of 5,569 tons of CO2 per year and an economic saving of 1.5 million € annually. Many of the more than 108 municipalities served have a population of less than 5,000 inhabitants. Approximately 70 tendering processes are being entrusted to the programme, in an innovative new bundled tendering model counting with local SME and MESCO, of which more than 50 benefited from free training courses in all the aspects of this new financial scheme.
During Step 2 of the Learning Programme, a second online session took place on the 12th of April 2019. The Mentees presented projects and ideas related to the role of EPC in public lighting. Specific needs to be addressed during the visit by the mentor were discussed as well.
Mentees visited DDGI in Spain to learn about EPC for public lighting
The physical meeting took place in the City of Girona on June 5th and 6th 2019. The first day of the meeting started with the Head of the office of the Environmental department presenting the experiences that DDGI has gained on th Covenant of Mayors since 2015 and cooperation with Local Energy Agencies. After Mentees presented their projects and ideas, the group visited a biomass boilers site, several energy efficiency investments in different public buildings and a wood chipping production facility.
The team posing at the biomass site
A plaque showing the energy transformation lifecycle
DDGI explaining in depth good practices related to EPC
Mentees learning first hand on woodchipping site (a)
Mentees learning first hand on woodchipping site (b)
Mentees learning first hand on woodchipping site (c)
Replication/Transferability
The 4th and last Step of the Programme will include an online session dedicated to the assessment and evaluation of the peer learning activities.
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