Municipal Energy Management

According to the European Commission, buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the EU. Thus, the building sector has a key function for achieving the climate protection goals of the EU. In order to achieve these goals, activities on the municipal level are of significant importance. The Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) focuses on public buildings in order to achieve a multiplier effect through their given exemplary function. The nationwide implementation of a systematic municipal energy management can thus make an important contribution to tapping existing saving potentials in the municipalities and to establishing a sustainable portfolio management.

The benefits of municipal energy management were shown by introducing it in 61 municipal demonstration buildings across the target regions (Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania and Slovenia) which resulted in year reduction of 478tCO2 (or 8.5% comparted to the previous level). Making use of the existing know-how and taking into account the different starting situations and needs of the four partners, new and innovative concepts for the implementation and financing of municipal energy management have been developed.

Photo: Franziska Berentin / KSA

• Energy savings in pilot buildings: Systematic energy monitoring was carried out in 61 buildings in the four project regions. The implementation of the proposed measures led to savings of 1,503,744 kWh of energy and 478 tCO₂ – a reduction of 7.3 and 8.5 percent respectively compared to the baseline value. 
• Institutionalisation of energy management: In 13 partner municipalities, the responsible committees decided to introduce systematic energy management and build up the necessary capacities – an important step towards sustaining the project's results beyond its duration.