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PRIVATE meets PUBLIC
Energy Services on the move Bestowal of the European Energy Service Award 2007 on European Conference in Brussels
„Europe and Europe’s regions are forced to deal with numerous challenges“, stated Lucio Gusetti, Director of the Directorate for Consultative Works at the Committee of the Regions in the framework of the European Conference “Energy Services 2007 – Moving Ahead” today in Brussels. He pointed out that a stable and reasonably priced energy supply is essential for a sustainable development in regions and communes. “Energy Services are an important instrument for energy efficiency”, emphasized the host of the event in this context.
The need to learn from best practices as well as mistakes we have made in the past in order to bring energy efficiency forward, was underlined the EU Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs on the event, which was also the final conference of the EU project EUROCONTRACT.
The project EUROCONTRACT increased know-how and confidence in Energy Services and thus contributed to the further market development of this innovative instrument. EUROCONTRACT aimed at increasing the number of Energy Saving Contracting projects in Europe. To do so an information and expert platform on developments on the market for Energy Saving Contracting was build up. The success of the project is obvious: “In the last three years we initiated more than 30 projects in eight countries with an energy cost baseline of over 10 million euros and an average savings potential of 15-20 %. We hope that these examples will find many who follow”, said Michael Geissler, Managing Director of Berliner Energieagentur which coordinates the project.
„For many companies the implementation of energy efficiency secures competitive advantages on markets with enormous growth potential”, highlighted Olaf Weber, Head of Unit Central Sustainability Unit in the KfW Banking Group. Energy Services effectively contribute to tap economic energy saving potentials in all sectors. It is now of great importance, to “use these instruments broadly and to establish them area-wide.”
For many years the Berlin model Energy Saving Partnership has shown how energy can successfully be saved despite a tight budgetary position. “We are proud, that the Know-how and the commitment of private energy service companies have already led to energy saving projects in 25 per cent of Berlin’s public buildings”, explained Katrin Lompscher, Senator for Health, the Environment and Consumer Protection. “The State of Berlin receives approximately €3 million of the savings per year and 63,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions can be avoided annually”, stated Katrin Lompscher.
Award for exemplary Energy Savings – European Energy Service Award 2007
In the framework of the conference the bestowal of the „European Energy Service Award 2007“ took place. The award honours institutions, persons and projects that have achieved outstanding aims in the context of energy services. Claude Turmes, MEP and spokesman for Energy politics of Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance in the European Parliament bestowed the awards.
The award as „Best Energy Service Provider“ was bestowed to HEP ESCO d.o.o. as one of the first energy service companies in Croatia for its commitment against numerous barriers. “Despite many legal, technical, financial and social barriers we have managed the implementation of ten energy efficiency projects in the building and lighting sector as well as in industry since our foundation in 2003. A result of which we are proud of”, explained Gordana Lucic, Managing Director of the company.
The Swede Randall Bowie was honoured as “Best Energy Service Promoter”. He made major contributions to the drafting and adoption in the Commission, Council and the European Parliament of the Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the Directive on Energy Services (ESD), as well as being responsible for the Commission’s two Energy Efficiency Action Plans. Randall thus played an important role in creating a stable framework for energy efficiency in Europe. “The recent European Directives on energy efficiency and the accompanying Action Plans provide a clear signal to the market and to the Member States and are useful instruments for realising Europe’s goal of playing a leading role globally when it comes to energy efficiency, security of energy supply and climate protection“ he says.
Two projects were honoured as „Best Energy Service Project“: the energetically refurbished Swimming pool Brigittenau in Vienna as well as the lighting equipment in the Spanish town Motril. “This Brigittenau Energy Performance Contracting Project is exemplary to show the present-day possibilities of an economic modernization using energy-efficiency measures. The building owner achieves sustained lowered overheads, higher availability through new technical installations, all while making a valuable contribution to climate protection”, points out Gunnar Liehr, Vice-President and Head of Energy and Environmental Solutions at the implementing Contractor Siemens Building Technologies.
Antonio Jesus Bueno Granadino as representative of the town of Motril is pleased about the award „Motril is the Spanish town when it comes to energy efficient lighting by now. By implementing the measurements we save 1.9 GWh energy annually and unburden the public budget of approximately 200,000 € per year“.
www.energy-service-initiative.net/
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The Eurocontract project is supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
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Winner of the European Energy Service Award 2007:
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