ESV mentoring in PROSPECT Learning Cycle 2
Author: Anja Gahleitner (Facilitator Prospect)
In the context of a four step learning programme offered by the Prospect project, the mentor regional energy agency of Upper Austria (ESV) is sharing its expertise on financing and implementing successful EPC streetlighting projects with the mentees Municipality of Nea Ionia (Greece), the Municipality of Irakleio Attica (Greece), the City of Khmelnytsky (Ukraine) and a project manager from the region south of Athens (Greece). This constitutes the 6th Group for Public Lighting. The peer learning activities will be focalised on Energy Performance Contracting (EPC).+Mentors' Corner
During the Step 1, on the 25th of April 2019 the team met online. At the meeting, the Mentor representatives presented best practices related to the Learning Group, based on projects, which have already been implemented.
During the Step 2 of the Learning Programme and on the 16th of May 2019 the team met again online. 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.
The Mentees visited the ESV in Austria to learn about best practices for Public Lighting
During Step 3 of the Learning Programme, a two-day site visit was organised on the 5th and the 6th of June 2019, in Upper Austria. The regional energy agency of Upper Austria (ESV) shared its expertise on financing and implementing successful EPC streetlighting projects (Municipality of Bad Schallerbach, Municipality of Gunskirchen, Large-scale conversion to LED in Wels, Gas station "Pink") with the Municipality of Nea Ionia (Greece), the Municipality of Irakleio Attica (Greece), the City of Khmelnytsky (Ukraine) and a project manager in the region south of Athens (Greece).
The main objective was to deepen the mentees’ know-how of EPC-related topics and to create an environment for dialogue and exchange on details of the practical implementation of streetlighting refurbishment projects and EPC. The programme focussed on LED streetlighting technology, EPC and funding issues through presentations, the calculation of concrete examples and site visits.
Image: Eva Athanasakou from EUDITI Ltd. (Greece), Anja Gahleitner/Christiane Egger/Christine Öhlinger from OÖ Energiesparverband, Rania Mavridou from the Municipality of Nea Ionia (Greece), Dmytro Leskiv from the Centre for Energy Efficiency/City of Khmelnytskyi (Ukraine), Konstantinos Diamantis from the Municipality of Irakleio Attica (Greece).
Prior to the site visit, the mentees sent key data on their "candidate" projects. Based on this data, ESV conducted a initial feasibility analysis of the projects economic viability. The results were presented and discussed during the meeting. This permitted partners to transpose the theoretical information they were receiving into the context of their respective regions. Each participant went home with realistic numbers and valuable information about their potential project. This information can be communicated to municipalities and regional leaders to help increase interest in streetlight refurbishment with EPC.
On the second day, one of Upper Austria’s major ESCOs held a detailed presentation about the steps to implement an streetlighting project with EPC, offering partners insight into the world of ESCOs. This session was also complemented by a site visit. First of all, the group visited the "Light Demonstraton Street" in Wels, where various lighting technologies and LED luminaires have been set up by the city’s electricity utility (which is also active as ESCO). This was followed by a visit of 2 streetlighting refurbishment projects implemented using EPC (in the City of Wels and the Municipality of Lichtenberg).
Participants benefited from sharing internal know-how (among each other and with the ESV as EPC facilitator) as well as from external inputs provided by a very experienced ESCO from Upper Austria (EWW) and the municipalities.
“Every aspect of EPC (technical, financial and contractual) was presented and addressed thoroughly. I couldn’t ask for anything else! I am really grateful for the participation in the Prospect learning programme. I will do my best to disseminate the valuable knowledge gained to my municipality and I truly hope that we will be able to implement EPC for our future energy projects!”, Rania Mavridou, Municipality of Nea Ionia (Greece)
Replication/Transferability
The 4th and last step of the Programme took place on the 5th of September 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.