[relevant_sector]

CONGREGATE – Building Renovation and Renewable Energy Cooperatives

Promoting building renovation and renewable energy cooperatives in Southern and Eastern Europe through targeted communication and awareness raising.

Background

Energy efficient renovation and encouraging “prosumer” behaviour though energy cooperative are proven measures that support the sustainable energy transition. However, neither building renovation programmes nor the creation of energy cooperatives are usually accompanied by adequate communication campaigns. This makes these successful practices invisible to both citizens and potential investors.

The building renovation wave provides new opportunities for energy and building renovation cooperatives.

The buildings under renovation in Bulgaria. Photo: (c) Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect

Project

To promote interest and participation in building renovation and in the creation of energy cooperatives, the project combines two distinctive actions.

First, it develops a communication strategy to support national building renovation strategies in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania and organises at least 28 events to promote this strategy. For each country, the project monitors and analyses how current renovation programmes impact residents’ energy and financial savings as well their behaviours and attitudes. Results from this study inform future national campaigns for civic engagement in building renovation programmes.

Second, the project promotes the establishment of public-private renewable energy cooperatives in Bulgaria, Greece, and the Czech Republic. To do so, it conducts three case studies per country and supports feasibility studies in the involved municipalities. The project then organises at least 19 events to raise awareness for the results of the studies.

Project information

Updated: April 2021

Countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Romania

Project duration: 11/20 - 03/23

Funding: 878,855 €

Target groups: Cities, towns and municipalities, Public sector

Implementing organisation: Foundation Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect

Partners: Center for the Study of Democracy, Cluster for Promoting Nearly Zero Energy Buildings Pro-nZEB, Institute of Zero Energy Buildings (INZEB) Greece, SEVEn, University of Zagreb - Faculty of Civil Engineering

Contact Person:

Mr Dragomir Tzanev

Organisation:
Foundation Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect

Address:
1 Hristo Smirnenski Blvd.
1164 Sofia
Bulgaria

Email:
dtzaneveneffect.bg

EUKI

The European Climate Initiative (EUKI):

Potsdamer Platz 10,
10117 Berlin – Deutschland
Tel.: +49 (0)30 338424 570
infoeuki.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 Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). 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