Good Practice Case Study: RESINBUIL - Introduction of Renewable Energies Sources (RES) in Building Sector in Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain

Website: www.resinbuil.com

Case Study (1361 Kb PDF)

Summary

RESINBUIL is a project financed by the IEE programme (Intelligent Energy - Europe). It was approved in December 2005 and its total duration is 26 months from January 2006. The consortium is formed by eight partners from four European regions (Burgos - Spain, Pomurje - Slovenia, Trapani - Italy and Harghita - Romania). The project is focused on the encouragement of the use of Renewable Energy (RE) in the building sector by means of a three-pronged strategy centred on new and concrete market, promotion and training actions. The expected result in the short term is a significant boost in the instalment of small scale RES in the residential sector in a close cooperation with the installers and the local authorities. RESINBUIL project is aimed mainly at Local/Regional Public Authorities, Business Associations, Constructors, Promoters, Professional Associations and General Public. Presence and active participation of these groups are benefiting the project, with results being effectively disseminated in the local, regional, national and international context.

Results

After a year and a half of implementation, it is soon to obtain a conclusion about the repercussion of the project and the fulfilment of the objectives. Indeed, the main objectives of the project are being fulfilled right now just as planned. In fact, a significant boost in the instalment of small scale RES applications in the residential sector in a close cooperation with the installers and local authorities has just been registered in the participating regions (summer 2007).

Examples of integration of RES in Buildings in the participating regions

The four participating Agencies (AGENBUR, APEA-Trapani, Sinergija and Harghita) worked during the first semester of the project, showing an insight into the rate of use of the small scale RES appliances in the participating regions, along with the study of the barriers stopping a higher rate of use of these appliances. During the second semester of the project, RESINBUIL Consortium established a strategy based on the results obtained in both studies. Regarding to the second strategic objective, the four participating Agencies, together with the rest of the partners, have elaborate drafts in order to update and/or modify legal ordinances in their regions. Now, partners are holding meetings with City Councils representatives and key actors involved in order to enact the new ordinances. Drafts of commercial agreements for the favourable purchase and/or instalment of RES in buildings have also been created and now, Agencies are discussing the conditions with local banks and installers.

The promotion of RES in buildings has started by means of the creation of the RESINBUIL Web site, first and second semester bulletins, conferences and congress appearances, publication of info booklets about RES in buildings in the four participating regions - fulfilling in this way the planned part of the third - strategic objective.

It is remarkable the execution of the permanent small RE applications exhibit in Burgos, Trapani and Pomurje. Regarding to the training initiatives, the University of Burgos carried out a MA attendance course about RES appliances in buildings, the full duration of the course was nine months and it was a successful experience. In the same way, the online course has registered a high number of students in the three participating countries (Slovenia, Italy and Romania).

In a medium/long term are expected the following results, some of them are being achieved during the execution of the project:

• Creation of the ground conditions for the easier application of the EU Buildings Directive in the participating regions.
• Diversify the overall buildings supply and consumption outlook increasing the share of the RE in the same by an estimated 100% in the first three years following the termination of the project.
• Market opportunities. The partners expected to see anywhere from 15-20% increase in the market sales of the small RE applications within their territories in 3 years after the project's conclusion.
• The project directly stimulates the general increase in the rate of the energy production based on the RE sources. This is understandable since the majority of the partners come from the warmer climates, with a relatively high number of sunny days (including Slovenia). Thus, the shift will be primarily felt through the significant increase in the installment of the solar panels (thermal and PV) in buildings.
• Job creation. Estimated number of jobs created within a five year period following the project completition: 40 in the four participating regions. Until now more than 10 firms have contracted interns to work in design of installations of RES in buildings.
• Reduction of the contamination rate. The reduction margin could reach a 10% or even the double in monts of the most intensive use of energy.
• Better territorial planning

Lessons learned and repeatability

About the lessons learnt, it is worth pointing out the necessity of communication among partners. In RESINBUIL Consortium the communication has been fluent and that is one of the main reasons of the success of the project. In this sense, partners have been in permanent contact and in some cases the experiences of one partner have been shared by the consortium. In all the participant regions, the project has had an excellent reception from local agents, they have participated in all the tasks in which they have been invited and partners agree to use the experience of these key actors along the duration of the project.

The main preliminary lessons learnt, emerging from the RESINBUIL Project, are:

• Increasing interest in new generations of architects and engineers. These groups have accepted very well the project, participating actively in all the actions executed.
• The construction sector (promoter and constructors) is reticent to install RES in buildings, arguing that it would increase the cost of dwellings. Partners have notice a lack of interest in this group.
• General public is the best tool to promote RE in buildings. This is the reason why the majority of the actions performed by the Consortium have been aimed to citizens in general.

RESINBUIL is different from other projects because it is the use of a three-pronged strategy in order to promote small scale RES in buildings designed for market penetration, high publicity events and quality training designed not only to carry out periodical work shops but rather a high quality permanent training personnel capable of filling out the employment gap. Thus, the project is not one giant dissemination activity, but rather a set of purposeful and very concrete activities designed to assure the increase and permanence of the small RE applications/equipment as the energy source of choice in the buildings.

In doing so, the project clearly befits the creation of favorable local energy conditions prior to the entry in force of the EU Buildings Directive in all the participating regions.

Transferability of the project is guaranteed, project's consortium is composed of partners coming from four countries. This fact will allow a construction of versatile and inclusive model of dealing with the issue of using small RE applications and its exploitation in building sector. Further more, the structure of the project bodies incorporating various direct beneficiaries permits the model in question to be instructive, inclusive and sufficiently supported by the necessary technical data. These elements will allow an easy transfer and subsequent application of the model in any other territory of the EU. In addition, all of the project's principal activities will be described in several different languages making the relevant information understandable and accessible. Therefore, clearly constructed project model sufficiently supported by the technical component and backed by all of the appropriate dissemination and evaluation mechanisms provide for its easy potential transfer to any other interested organization and its corresponding territory.

To find similar reports, click on a keyword below:
Regional Energy Agencies : Local Energy Agencies : Architects/Architecture : Biomass & Bioenergy : Building Certification : Buildings : Citizens : Engineering Organisations : Financial Instruments : Households : Intelligent Energy - Europe 2003-2006 : Legal initiatives : Local Associations : Local Energy Bodies : Local Government : Local Sectorial Organisations : ManagEnergy : New Buildings : Photovoltaics : Promotional Activities : Property Owners : Refurbishment of Buildings : Regional Associations : Regional Energy Bodies : Regional Government : Regional Sectorial Organisations : Renewable Energy Sources & Systems : Schools & Colleges : Solar Thermal : Training : User behaviour : Wind Energy

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APEA Trapani srl Agenzia Provinciale Energia ed Ambiente Trapani

HEMPS - Harghita Energy Management Public Service

Razvojna agencija Sinergija Development Agency

ABASOL - Integral de Sistemas Energéticos del Norte

AGENBUR - Agencia Provincial de la Energía de Burgos

CEEI - Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovación de Burgos

UBU - Universidad de Burgos Departamento de Ingeniería Electromecánica Escuela Politécnica Superio