ALLIES – Activating and Learning from Local Investment in Energy Savings

ALLIES plans to activate investments in cost-effective energy efficiency projects by means of local approaches involving citizens and local businesses as investors, facilitators and beneficiaries.
ALLIES plans to activate investments in cost-effective energy efficiency projects by means of local approaches involving citizens and local businesses as investors, facilitators and beneficiaries. By acting on regional level projects and benefits are made more tangible. Investments can generate steady returns for reinvestment and actually provide citizens with tools to contribute to local economic and environmental sustainability.
The ALLIES concept brings three pillars together with explicit regional focus:
Our concept builds on the REEG model of regional energy efficiency cooperatives as it has been developed by B.A.U.M. e.V. with governmental support. There are more than a thousand energy cooperatives in Germany to operate renewable energy installations, but they rarely focus on energy savings. Applying the REEG concept, their scope can easily be widened to include energy efficiency. Good guidance is available: www.reeg-info.de
In ALLIES, partners in the implementing countries are about to transfer the German experiences and find appropriate means and financing structures for their respective countries.
ALLIES represents a funding niche for energy efficiency beyond self-financing, bank credit and public finance. The advantages of this financing includes that investments in energy efficiency can be implemented on a balance sheet-neutral basis. This means that no equity is needed. Borrowing is not necessary, which does not worsen the rating. The saved investment funds can be used elsewhere, and energy cost savings can be used right from the start. In addition, the image improves as an energy and climate-conscious organization.
Despite several funding mechanisms in place, e.g. BAFA in Germany, energy efficiency is still lacking. Enterprises are trapped between lowering energy costs and limitations of investments and balances.
Further obstacles are the lack of sensitivity towards energy efficiency issues, poor knowledge on state-of-the-art efficiency technology, bottlenecks in staff and time as well as high demands on cash recovery.
In the implementing countries, Poland and Hungary, the potential of energy efficiency remains largely untapped.
The ALLIES project has stimulated investment in local energy efficiency projects worth a total of EUR 1,076,500. The projects, including the installation of solar energy plants, are being implemented in Germany, Hungary and Poland. Projects worth EUR 255,000 have already been completed, with projects involving investment of a further EUR 821,500 currently under way.
28. July 2020Updated: December 2018
Countries: Germany, Hungary, Poland
Project duration: 01/18 - 06/20
Funding: 529,999 €
Target groups: Cities, towns and municipalities, Educational institutions, Governments, NGOs, Small and medium enterprises (SME)
Implementing organisation:
B.A.U.M. e.V. – Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für umweltbewusstes Management e.V.
Project Partners:
FEWE – Fundacja na rzecz Efektywnego Wykorzystania, INEM – International Network of Environmental Management, KÖVET Association for Sustainable Economies Hungary
Website: allies-project.eu/
Ms Dr Anna Stetter
Organisation: B.A.U.M. Consult GmbH
Adresse: Gotzinger Str. 48/50
81371 Munich
Germany
Email: a.stetter∂baumgroup.com
Tel: +49 89 18935 189
The European Climate Initiative (EUKI):
Potsdamer Platz 10,
10117 Berlin – Deutschland
Tel.: +49 (0)30 338424 570
info∂euki.de
The European Climate Initiative (EUKI):
This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The EUKI competition for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information on the EUKI: www.euki.de