ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES IN

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES AND

THE ROLE OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND NALAS

A study of NALAS Task Force Energy Efficiency in cooperation with NALAS member associations and

GTZ Open Regional Fund Energy

SUMMARY REPORT2010

Study organization:

Sazan IBRAHIMI Association of Kosovo Municipalities

Milena GARTHLEY NALAS Secretariat

Strahil PANEV GTZ Open Regional Fund for South East Europe Energy

Coordination and reporting:

Bruno WILHELM INTEGRATION Environment & Energy on behalf of GTZ Open Regional Fund for South East Europe Energy

Associations’ studies:

Edmond HIDO / Ada ILIA Association of Albanian Municipalities

Goran KRSTOVIC Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Aleksandra STANIVUKOVIC Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Republic of Srpska

Elena ANASTASOVA National Association of the Municipalities of the Republic of Bulgaria

Goran PICHLER Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia

Maliq PIRECI Association of Kosovo Municipalities

Vladislav ZUPAN Association of the Units of Local Self Government of the Republic of Macedonia

Ion MUNTEAN Congress of the Local Authorities from Moldova

Igor GOLUBOVIC Union of Municipalities of Montenegro

Ovidiu DUMITRACHE Association of Romanian Communes

Miodrag GLUSCEVIC Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities

Members of the study Group

ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES ANDTHE ROLE OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND NALAS

Bostjan KRAJNC Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia

Yildiz Münevver KOC Union of Municipalities of Marmara

Contacts:

Kelmend ZAJAZI Executive Director

Milena GARTHLEY Program Officer

NALAS Secretariat Zenevska bb, Skopje 1000, Macedonia, www.nalas.eu tel. +389 2 3090818 e-mail: [email protected]

Bruno WILHELM Senior Adviser INTEGRATION Environment & Energy Bahnhofstraße 9, D-91322 Gräfenberg, www.integration.org tel. +49-9192-9959-0; +49-151-12723768 (mobile) e-mail: [email protected]

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List of Contents

Clarifications

Acronyms for the participating associations

List of Abbreviations

A. Executive Summary 12

I) Introduction 12 II) Municipalities’ motivation to improve EE and to increase the use of RE 12 III) The role of NALAS in supporting municipalities in the fields of EE and RE 13 IV) Strengths and weaknesses of the network with regard to its potential role in the promotion of EE and RE applications 14 V) Conclusions and recommendations 15

B. Introduction 16

B.1 Objectives of the study 17

B.2 Study concept 17

B.3 Scope of work 19

B.4 Applied methods 20

C. Synopsis of results 21

C.1 Municipalities’ motivation to improve EE and to increase the use of RE 23 C.2 The role of NALAS in supporting municipalities in the fields of EE and RE 25 C.3 Current framework conditions for EE and RE applications 26 C.4 Common strategic objectives of NALAS and its member associations with regard to promoting EE and RE applications 28 C.5 Strengths and weaknesses of the network regarding its potential role in the promotion of EE and RE applications (SWOT analysis) 29 C.6 Network capacities dedicated to the promotion of EE and RE applications 32 C.7 Lessons learnt from EE/RE initiatives of SEE municipalities 33

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C.8 Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE and potential contributions of NALAS and its member associations 36 C.9 Potential interaction between NALAS and its member associations in the promotion of EE and RE applications 38 C.10 Important partners 41 C.11 Conclusions and recommendations 43

D. Summaries of the associations’ reports 44

D.1 Albanian Association of Municipalities (AAM) 45 D.2 Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SOGFBiH) 47 D.3 Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Republic of Srpska (ALVRS) 49 D.4 National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) 53 D.5 Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia (UORH) 54 D.6 Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM) 55 D.7 Association of the Units of Local Self Government of the Republic of Macedonia (ZELS) 58 D.8 Congress of the Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) 60 D.9 Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UOM) 61 D.10 Association of Romanian Communes (A.Co.R) 65 D.11 Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) 66 D.12 Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia (SOS) 67 D.13 Union of Municipalities of Marmara (UMM) 70

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Clarification:

Municipality Whenever used in this report, the term “municipality” and its various forms are used for Local Go vernment units of all kind and size, independent from the different terms and definitions that are used within the different associations and their membership.

Energy Efficiency Local EE potentials are defined in this study as the potential to reduce the spe cific energy consumption per unit of provided goods or services while maintaining or even increasing the number or volume and the quality of goods and services provided. Thus the improvement of EE in municipalities is typically resulting in energy savings, ac companied by an improvement of public service quality.

This definition of EE potentials and of their expected impacts on energy savings and improved service quality is based upon the general definition of the term ‘Energy Efficiency’ as given in EC Directive 2006/32/EC §3(b): “A ratio between an output of performance, service or goods and an input of energy.”

Renewable Energies Local RE potentials are defined in this study as the potential to replace imported fossil fuels by domestic renewable energy resources such as e.g. hydropower, biomass, solar, wind and geothermal energy while im pro ving heat and electricity supply services. Thus, the utilization of RE in muni ci pa lities is typically resulting in a reduction of energy imports and energy cost, ac companied by the emerging of local RE businesses, creation of new jobs on site and improvement of security as well as of quality of heat and power supply.

The utilization of RE is normally combined with EE measures in order to make optimum use of the applied domestic resources and to achieve best possible service quality.

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Acronyms for the participating associations:

AAM Association of Albanian Municipalities

SOGFBiH Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

ALVRS Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Republic of Srpska

NAMRB National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria

UORH Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia

AKM Association of Kosovo Municipalities

ZELS Association of the Units of Local Self Government of

the Republic of Macedonia

CALM Congress of the Local Authorities from Moldova

UOM Union of Municipalities of Montenegro

A.Co.R Association of Romanian Communes

SCTM Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities in Serbia

SOS Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia

UMM Union of Municipalities of Marmara

List of Abbreviations:

AKEREE Kosovar Association for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

AL Albania

ANRE National Agency for Energy Regulation in Moldova

BiH Bosnia and Herzegovina

BG Bulgaria

C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (part of the Clinton Climate Initiative, finan ced by the Clinton Foundation)

CB Capacity Building

CCCC City Council on Climate Change (Banja Luka)

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CDM Clean Development Mechanism

CEMR Council of European Municipalities and Regions

CFU Carbon Finance Unit

CHP Combined heat and power

DSM Demand Side Management

e.g. for example

EC European Commission

EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

ECB Energy Code of Buildings

ECT Energy Charter Treaty

EE Energy Efficiency

EIB European Investment Bank

EIE Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration in Turkey

ELEM State-owned electricity generation company in Macedonia

EnCT Energy Community Treaty

ENSI Energy Saving International AS (Norwegian)

EP Environmental Protection

EPBD Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU Directive 2002/91/EC)

ERO Energy Regulatory Office in Kosovo

ESCO Energy Service Company

EVN Energieversorgung Niederösterreich (Austrian power supply company, active with its own subsidiaries in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Croatia.)

FBiH Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

FEDRE European Foundation for the Development of Regions

FMEMI Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry (RS)

FMET Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism (RS)

GEF Global Environment Facility

GHG Green-house gas

HR Croatia

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HVAC Heating, ventilation, air condition

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability

ICO International Civilian Office

IEE Intelligent Energy Europe

IMM Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

IMP Istanbul Metropolitan Planning Agency

KSV Kosovo

LDG Local Development Group

LED Local Economic Development

LG Local Government

LGA Local Government Association

LOGIN Local Government Information NETWORK

LUCI Lighting Urban Community International

MACEF Macedonian Centre on Energy Efficiency

MAFRD Ministry of Agriculture in Kosovo

MD Moldova

MOFTER Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations (BiH)

MEED Ministry of Economy, Energy and Development of the Republic of Srpska

MEF Ministry of Economics and Finance of Kosovo

MEM Ministry of Energy and Mines of Kosovo

METE Albanian Ministry of Economy, Trade and Energy

MK Macedonia

MLGA Ministry of Local Government Administration in Kosovo

MNE Montenegro

MoE Ministry of Economy

NALAS Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South-East-Europe

NANR Albanian National Agency for Natural Resources

NEEAP National EE Action Plan

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation

NREAP National RE Action Plan

ADC Austrian Development Cooperation

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ORF-E GTZ Open Regional Fund for South East Europe Energy

PDD Project Design Document

PPP Public Private Partnership

R&D Research & Technical Development

RARS Republic Agency for SME Development in the Republic of Srpska

RE Renewable energies

REC Regional Environmental Centre

RES Renewable energy sources

RDA Regional Development Agency

RO Romania

ROI Return on Investment

RS Republic of Srpska

SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

SEAP Sustainable Energy Action Plan

SEE South-East Europe

SEEA Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency

SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

SME Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

SLO Slovenia

SRB Serbia

SWOT Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats

TFEE NALAS Task Force EE

TPF Third Party Financing

TR Turkey

UCLG United Cities and Local Governments

UNDP United Nations Development Program

USAID-MLGA Macedonia Local Government Activity

USAIOD-PEP Primary Education Project

WB World Bank

WeBSECLF Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Credit Line Facility (of EBRD)

WeBSEDFF Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Direct Financing Facility (of EBRD)

WG Working group

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A. Executive Summary

I) Introduction

NALAS is the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South East Europe. It gathers appro ximately 4000 local authorities, directly elected by more than 80 million citizens of this region.

NALAS Task Force Energy Efficiency (TFEE) was established in 2008, as a response to the growing need for the improvement of Energy Efficiency (EE) and the more intensive utilization of Renewable Energies (RE) in South-East European municipalities. Its objective is to coor di nate member asso cia tions’ joint activities which are aiming at motivating and enabling munici palities for the development and implementation of their own EE/RE pro grams and projects.

A network-wide assessment of the needs and potentials for joint activities of the member asso ciations promoting EE and RE at the local level was compiled within the framework of this study. A total of 13 member associations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ko sovo, Mace donia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey participated in the study group, which was working under the auspices of the TFEE. The member asso ciations contributed to the study with their own local experts. GTZ Open Regional Fund Energy (ORF-E) provided financial and technical assistance.

II) Municipalities’ motivation to improve EE and to increase the use of RE

The motivation of municipalities to im pro ve EE and to increase the use of RE is closely related to the po li ti cal aware ness of existing EE and RE potentials and their enormous impacts on local de velopment with regard to, for example:

Municipal Finance. X

Job creation. X

Social development. X

Environmental protection. X

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Security of energy supply. X

Political stability. X

Experience of municipalities in SEE and abroad gives evidence of the large fi nancial and social be ne fits of the im pro vement of EE as well as of the use of RE in muni ci pa li ties.

III) The role of NALAS in supporting municipalities in the fields of EE and RE

Member associations, representatives of municipalities and other stakeholders at the national and local level in SEE countries are unanimously recommending and requesting that NALAS should contribute to the promotion of EE and RE potentials in SEE municipalities by means of providing and promoting services for municipalities aiming at:

Promoting of X EE procurement rules and regulations and establishing life cycle cost calculations in the economic assessment and in the decision making at the regional, national and local levels of government in SEE, regarding invest-ments in EE of public buildings and services as well as in RE supply infrastruc-ture.

Strengthening the exchange of know-how and experience between municipali- Xties.

Organizing regional and national conferences, workshops and seminars for the Xbuilding of SEE municipalities’ and their associations’ capacities in all aspects of developing and implementing programs and projects promoting EE and RE at the local level.

Including and disseminating municipal best practice in promoting and using Xlocal EE and RE potentials in the NALAS knowledge centre.

Supporting the development and implementation of municipalities’ joint pro- Xgrams, campaigns and projects at the local, national and international level of SEE countries.

Facilitating X technical and financial cooperation of municipalities with national and international partners.

Providing information on and improvement of access to national and interna- Xtional funding sources for EE and RE projects.

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All NALAS activities aiming at playing such an active role in the promotion of EE and RE at the local level must be built upon a clear common strategy of the NALAS network and its member associations with specific regard to the promotion of local EE and RE potentials.

Existing strategy de ficits in the fields of EE/RE at individual member associations’ level are to be overcome through an intensive dialogue performed at the network as well as at the individual associations’ level. This dialogue may be initiated and co-ordi nated by the NALAS Task Force Energy Efficiency and its members. International technical assistance may provide important input to such kind of dialogue.

The operational basis for the development of NALAS initiatives and programs aiming at de veloping the above listed services to the benefit of all municipalities in SEE should be the NALAS Task Force Energy Efficiency in cooperation with EE Committees of NALAS member asso ciations.

Therefore, the establishment of EE Committees in all member associations should be of high priority in the near future.

IV) Strengths and weaknesses of the network with regard to its potential role in the promotion of EE and RE applications

NALAS and its member associations can provide assistance to local municipalities in promoting EE and RE on the basis of their specific strengths as there are e.g.:

Well established and professionally managed networks. X

Sound understanding of international good practice as well as of political and Xlegal systems in SEE countries.

Key position in the flow of information to and from municipalities. X

Established cooperation platform on EE and RE issues (TFEE). X

Close liaison with national and international donors and sound experience in Xthe development and implementation of co-financing projects.

Weaknesses of the network and of its individual member associations which may impede the promotion of EE and RE applications at the local level are, however:

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Low priority and a strategy deficit on EE/RE issues in most of the member as- Xsociations.

Lack of EE Committees in most of the member associations. X

Little operational power and lack of technical capacities in the fields of EE and XRE.

Limited financial resources and dependence on international co-financing. X

V) Conclusions and recommendations

The promotion and use of EE and RE potentials is of growing economic and social importance for municipalities in SEE. Cooperation within the NALAS network is helping to increase the political influence of local au thorities on EE/RE-related policies at the national level as well as to develop their technical and institutional capacities and to raise additional funds for the joint development and imple men tation of EE/RE initiatives.

Stakeholders interviewed within the framework of the study are sharing this expectation an request NALAS to take a role as a major key player in the development of local capacities, inter national project partnerships and co-financings for the utilization of EE/RE potentials on site.

Communication links, cooperation schemes and interaction models which have been imple mented in NALAS may be used also for joint activities promoting EE/RE in SEE munici palities.

Next steps should aim at:

Increasing awareness of the potentials and benefits of EE and RE applications Xin municipalities at all levels of decision making in the NALAS member asso-ciations.

Establishing EE/RE Committees in all NALAS member associations. X

Implementing a common EE/RE strategy in the strategic concepts and work Xprograms of NALAS member associations.

Installing a knowledge base within the NALAS website providing best practice Xexamples of EE and RE applications in SEE municipalities.

Developing a target-oriented action plan for NALAS TFEE based upon the Xstudy findings.

These next steps and all further NALAS activities aiming at promoting EE and RE potentials and their utilization in municipalities may be based on the findings of the study, at the network level as well as at the level of individual member associations.

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B. Introduction

NALAS is the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South East Europe. It gathers roughly 4000 local authorities, directly elected by more than 80 million citizens of this region.

NALAS has established its Task Force EE (TFEE) in February 2008. Host asso cia tion of the TFEE is the Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM), represented by its Exe cu-tive Director Mr. Sazan Ibrahimi.

The scope of the TFEE is to a large extent coincident with the objectives and the metho-dological approach of the GTZ Open Regional Fund Energy (ORF-E) which was launched in July 2008. This motivated the TFEE to approach the ORF-E with a project proposal for funding in 2009.

On the basis of this project proposal ORF-E, together with the NALAS Secretariat, and in close coordination with the TFEE initiated and co-financed this study.

The study concept was developed in close cooperation between the ORF-E and NALAS and finally approved by the TFEE during its meeting in December 2009 in Skopje.

A number of 13 NALAS member associations committed themselves to participate in the study by means of their representatives in the TFEE and with their own experts

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assigned to and contracted for the imple mentation of the study. The names and acronyms of the participating associations are listed on page V of this report.

Practical implementation of the study started in February 2010 with the briefing of the associations’ ex perts. It was finished in April 2010, when the achieved results have been presented to and dis cussed with the TFEE during its meeting in Budva.

B.1 Objectives of the study

NALAS Task Force EE, during its meeting in December 2009 in Skopje, defined the follo-wing objectives for the study:

Compile a comprehensive survey on current developments and trends regarding XEE in municipalities in SEE:

- Municipalities’ responsibilities and specific interests regarding EE.

- Local initiatives and projects promoting EE in municipalities.

- Existing networks and structures (national / international / EU).

- Available funding and coop. schemes (national / international / EU).

Draw conclusions on priority measures promoting EE in municipalities. X

Give recommendations regarding the strategic role of associations and of NALAS, Xe.g. in the fields of capacity building, dissemination of best practice, scaling-up of successful project approaches.

Give recommendations regarding potential next steps towards further projects. X

The achieved results are expected to contribute to the design and development of future activities of NALAS and its member associations in cooperation with national and international financing in stitutions to the benefit of their member municipalities.

B.2 Study concept

The study concept integrates the strategic objectives of NALAS with the specific operational targets of its TFEE and the methodological approach of ORF-E (see the following chart).

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The organizational setting of the study has been built upon:

- NALAS coordination.

- TFEE ownership of project.

- GTZ co-financing.

- Activation of member associations’ own capacities.

- Provision of complementary international expert support from ORF-E.

The targets for the implementation of the study have been defined as:

- Efficient use of allocated resources and rapid delivery of results.

- Comprehensiveness and reliability of gathered information.

- Relevance of resulting conclusions and recommendations.

Key elements of the study concept

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The scope of work and the methodology of the study have been desig ned to achieve these targets in a cooperative way, actively involving all participating NALAS member associations and their local experts as well as their representatives in the TFEE.

B.3 Scope of work

In order to achieve the objectives of the study on the basis of the above presented study concept, NALAS TFEE and ORF-E have established a study group including:

NALAS Program Manager. X

ORF-E Coordinator. X

International adviser contracted by OFR-E. X

National experts nominated by the member associations. X

The study group members are presented with their names on page II of this report.

In February and March 2010 the study group met with the TFEE for detailed dis cussions of the scope of work and of achieved first results.

Each of the associations’ experts in the study group was contracted to com pile her or his associations’ report focusing on the ga thering and evaluation of the following information:

Association’s strategic concepts for the promotion of EE and RE at the local Xlevel.

Capacities and potentials to support the promotion of EE and RE at the local Xlevel.

Interaction potential with NALAS and its other member associations. X

Framework conditions for EE and RE measures. X

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the Xnational and local level.

Potential cooperation partners at the national and local level. X

Stakeholder opinion regarding the role of the association as well as of NALAS Xwith regard to the promotion of EE and RE measures at the local level.

Exemplary initiatives of local municipalities in the fields of EE and RE. X

Conclusions and recommendations. X

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Summaries of the associations’ reports are colla ted in Section D oft his report. A synopsis of the associations’ reports is presented in Section C of this report and summarized in the Executive Summary.

Case studies on exemplary initiatives of member municipalities in the fields of EE an RE, which had been identified within the framework of the study will be published on the NALAS website.

B.4 Applied methods

In order ensuring to achieve comparable results from the associations’ studies, the TFEE and the study group agreed upon a common methodology and reporting format.

The major elements of the agreed methodology are:

Desk research. X

Review of strategy papers and reports. X

Internal discussions with associations’ management staff. X

Stakeholder interviews. X

Exchange of experience with local experts. X

Working group meetings. X

Each of the contracted experts has been free to decide upon the most appropriate way to apply a combination of these methods in order to implement the scope of work appropriately and to be able presenting the achieved findings in the agreed reporting format.

A comparative analysis of the findings from associations’ studies was performed on the basis of the delivered reports and of the discussion of findings during the joint meeting of the study group and the TFEE in Tirana in March 2010. The results of this comparative analysis have been integrated into in Section C of this report and summarized in the Executive Summary.

C. Synopsis of results

NALAS, its member associations as well as their member municipalities are developing their emer ging activities related to EE and RE applications in a dynamic environment which is characterised by complex inter actions between local, national and international actors (see the following chart).

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In this environment, municipalities see themselves often in the position of lacking the power to develop their own activities in an effective way, e.g. with respect to:

Political power X to develop and improve the framework conditions for EE and RE measures at the national and local level.

Technical power X (know-how and experience) to design and implement local projects.

Financial power X to realize their own projects.

The networking concept of NALAS and its member associations is expected to contribute to over coming the current lack of political, technical and financial power of the municipalities and of most of their national associa tions in the fields of EE and RE. The NALAS Task Force EE was estab lish ed to provide an operational platform for all kinds of cooperation activities aiming at fulfilling this expectation.

Relevant strategies and action plans at the level of NALAS and its member associations should be based upon a sound understanding of the strategic framework conditions as well as of the coope ration needs and potentials at the level of NALAS and its member associations.

In order to provide the required information, this section of the report is summarizing the overall results of a comparative assessment of the findings from the 13 associations’ studies. The synopsis of the associations’ reports was performed and is presented in the following steps.

Motivations of municipalities to improve EE and to increase the use of RE. X

NALAS role in the promotion of EE and RE X

Common strategic objectives of NALAS and its member associations with Xregard to promoting EE and RE applications.

Strengths and weaknesses of the network regarding its potential role in the Xpromotion of EE and RE applications (SWOT analysis).

Operational network capacities dedicated to the promotion of EE and RE ap- Xplications.

Lessons learnt from previous and EE/RE initiatives of local municipalities. X

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the Xnational and local level and potential contributions of NALAS and its member associations.

Potential interaction between NALAS and its member associations in the pro- Xmotion of EE and RE applications.

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Important partners. X

Conclusions and recommendations. X

The results are presented in the following chapters.

C.1 Municipalities’ motivation to improve EE and to increase the use of RE

The motivation of municipalities to improve EE and to increase the use of RE is closely related to the political awareness of existing EE and RE potentials on site and the local political priorities regarding sustainable develop ment targets in the fields of:

Finance. X

Job creation. X

Social development. X

Environmental protection. X

Security of energy supply. X

Political stability. X

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The highest motivation to improve EE and to increase the use of RE is found in those municipalities where political decision makers are fully aware of the local potentials of EE and RE and put a high priority on sus tain able local development including environmental protection and security of energy supply.

But also in those municipalities, where environmental protection or the security of energy supply are not yet high on the political agenda, the moti va tion to improve EE and to increase the use of RE is in creasing as soon as the political awareness of the large economic and social benefits of using the existing EE and RE potentials is increasing.

Enormous impacts are created by programs promoting EE and RE on municipal finance and job creation, as for example in the following cases:

Impacts of EE/RE on Local Finance: X

- Maribor (Slovenia)1: Introduction of energy management for the improvement of EE in 70 of its 120 public buildings saves 160,000 € of energy cost per year for the municipal budget of the city of Maribor.

- Campeni (Romania)2: By means of using wood residues from saw mills as a renewable energy source, the need of public subventions from the munici-pal budget was cut by 83% from 18 €/Gcal to 3.1 €/Gcal of produced heat.

- Brasov (Romania)3: Energy efficient refurbishment of the street lighting system is resulting in a reduction of energy cost (163,300 € p.a.) as well as in a reduction of maintenance cost (70,000 € p.a.) whereas the lighting is substan-tially improved.

- Swischtov (Bulgaria)4: Replacement of fuel oil by means of wood bricks in the heating system of the local hospital is saving 45,000 € of fuel cost every year.

Impacts of EE/RE on job creation X

EU: The European Commission is expecting 2.8 million jobs to be created in the RE sector of the European Union until 2020.5

Germany: 300,500 jobs have already been created in the RE sector of Germany until 2009, with an annual growth rate of approx. 8% during the previous years.6

Heidelberg: The City of Heidelberg is calculating with 1,100 new jobs being created on the commercial labour market in the Rhine-Neckar

1 Source of information: Energy Agency of Podravje2 Source of Information: Romanian Agency for Energy Conservation3 Source of information: Municipality of Brasov, Office of Public Lighting4 Source of information: Energy Centre Sofia5 Source of information: European Commission - Employ-RES study6 Source of information: Federal Ministry for the Envrionment …; data published on 18th March 2010

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region in the context of programs promoting EE in the region.7

Augsburg: The city of Augsburg (263,000 inhabitants) is calculating with 500-800 new jobs being created on the commercial labour market by means of implementing the municipality’s climate protection plan which is aiming at mobilizing EE and RE potentials in all sectors of energy consumption at the local level.8

C.2 The role of NALAS in supporting municipalities in the fields of EE and RE

The chances to participate in the economic and social benefits which are connected to the im provement of energy efficiency and the increasing use of renewable energies are unevenly distri buted among municipalities in SEE. This is not the least caused by the different national framework conditions for the utilization of EE and RE potentials at the municipal level which may still result in a variety of political, legal, institutional, and economic barriers which are preventing municipalities from making full use of the existing local EE and RE potentials. A majority of municipalities in SEE countries, however, are not at all benefiting from EE and RE yet. This is often caused by variety of specific local barriers, such as e.g.:

A lack of public and political awareness on site of the local EE and RE poten- Xtials as well as of the economic and social benefits which may arise from using these potentials.

A lack of local concepts for public awareness building campaigns promoting XEE and RE potentials and needs.

A lack of information, know-how and experience among municipal stakehold- Xers regarding appropriate measures for the improvement of EE and for the increase of the utilization of RE under the local conditions.

A lack of technical and financial local capacities which are needed to make use Xof the existing EE and RE potentials in an economically profitable and socially acceptable way.

A lack of experience in the cooperation with national EE funds and with inter- Xnational donors.

Etc. X

7 Source of information: ICLEI8 Source of information: City of Augsburg

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NALAS may contribute to lowering these barriers by means of providing and promoting to the municipalities in SEE countries a set of services aiming at:

Promoting of X EE procurement rules and regulations and establishing life cycle cost calculations in the economic assessment and in the decision making at the regional, national and local levels of government in SEE, regarding investments in EE of public buildings and services as well as in RE supply infrastructure.

Strengthening the X exchange of know-how and experience between municipalities.

Organizing X regional and national conferences, workshops and seminars for the building of SEE municipalities’ and their associations’ capacities in all aspects of developing and implementing programs and projects promoting EE and RE at the local level.

Including and disseminating municipal best practice in promoting and using local XEE and RE potentials in the NALAS knowledge centre.

Supporting the development and implementation of municipalities’ X joint programs, campaigns and projects at the local, national and international level of SEE coun-tries.

Facilitating X technical and financial cooperation of municipalities with national and international partners.

Providing information on and improvement of access to X national and international funding sources for EE and RE projects.

The operational basis for the development of NALAS initiatives and programs aiming at developing this kind of services to the benefit of all municipalities in SEE will be the NALAS Task Force Energy Efficiency together with EE Committees in the NALAS member associations.

C.3 Current framework conditions for EE and RE applications

All kinds of NALAS activities aiming at the network-wide promotion of programs and projects for the local improvement of EE and the strengthening of the local use of RES, must be aware of the fact that the framework conditions for municipalities’ activities in the fields of EE and RE are not yet the same in all countries. A schematic survey of national framework conditions in SEE countries for the promotion of EE and RE in municipalities is given in the following table.

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Framework conditions for EE and RE applications (survey)

AL

BiH

BG

HR

KS

V

MK

MD

MN

E

RO

SR

B

SLO

TR

Inte

rnat

ion

al C

om

mit

men

ts Kyoto Protocol • • • • • • • • • • •European Union • • •Energy Community Treaty Contracting Party

Participant • • • • • •

• • • • •Member of the Energy Charter Conference • • • • • • ◊1 • •Covenant of Mayors - Covenant Cities 2 9 12 1 3 16 2 1

Po

licie

sN

atio

nal

L

egis

lati

on

National Energy Policy/Strategy • °3 • • • • • °2 • • • •National EE Action Plan (NEEAP) • ° • • • • • • •National EE Programme/Masterplan • • • • • • •National EE Centre/Agency • • • ° • ° • • • • •

Nat

ion

al L

egis

lati

on

Energy Law / Act • •4 • • • • • • • • • •Laws/regulations on EE • • ° ° • • • •Laws/regulations on RE • • ° • •Laws/regulations giving priority to electricity RE or CHP • • ° • • • • •Laws/regulations on EE / Energy Savings in Buildings • °5 • • ° • • •Laws/regulations on Energy Efficient Building Codes • • • •Laws/regulations on the labelling of EE household appliances ° • • • •Laws/regulations on PPP / ESCOs • ° • • • • •

Eco

no

mic

C

on

dit

ion

s

National EE Fund ° • • • ° • • •SEE EE Fund (KfW/EIB) • • • • • • • •National Fund for Environmental Protection • • • •Feed-in tariffs for power/heat generated from RE • • • • • ° • • • •Funds from international donors • • • • • • • • • • •

Lo

cal C

apac

itie

s Municipal Energy Action Plans (at least some municipalities) • • • • •Sustainable Energy Action Plans (at least some municipalities) • • • • • • •Regional/Local Energy/EE Agencies/Offices • • • • • •Capacity building programs on EE in municipalities • • • • •

1◊ = Observer 2° = In progress3 No national energy policy/strategy for BiH yet. FBiH has adopted a Strategic Plan for the Development of the Energy Sector.4 The entity laws on electricity are the top level energy laws. So far, there is no an overall energy law in BiH.5 Only in Federation BiH, but the adopted set of regulation is still not fully harmonized with EPBD requirements.

28


C.4 Common strategic objectives of NALAS and its member associations with regard to promoting EE and RE applications

Although it is clear that NALAS and its member associations can and should play an important role in the promotion of EE and RE at the local level, it must be understood that the promotion of EE and RE potentials has traditionally not been in the centre of the scope of municipalities and of their associations in SEE. Therefore, the NALAS approach towards the promotion of EE and RE potentials in SEE municipalities must be based upon a sound process of strategy building at the levels of the NALAS network as well as of its individual member associations.

In NALAS member associations, the process of strategy development for the promotion of EE/RE measures is proceeding in different speed. Some associations (like e.g. UOM, SOS, ZELS, AKM, ALVRS) have a very well elaborated strategy dedicated to their activities aiming at the promotion of EE/RE concepts to their member muni ci palities. Others tend to extend their general strategic concepts to EE/RE issues when the need arises. In both groups of NALAS member associations, the following strategic objectives showed to be the most common:

Increase political and public awareness of potentials and benefits of EE and RE Xapplications at the local level.

Cooperate with government authorities responsible for EE/RE-related issues. X

Contribute to the improvement of political, legal, institutional and economic Xframework conditions for EE and RE projects.

Liaise, cooperate and exchange know-how and experience with existing local, Xnational and international initiatives and networks promoting EE/RE measures in municipalities.

Stimulate and support municipalities to develop and implement their own EE/ XRE strategies and action plans.

Develop the technical, economic and institutional capacities of municipalities Xand their associations for the promotion and facilitation of EE and RE applica-tions at the local level.

Facilitate cooperation between municipalities in their activities related to the Xpromotion of EE and RE applications in order to create and make use of poten-tial synergies.

Disseminate information on good practices of EE and RE applications in mu- Xnicipalities.

29

Facilitate public-private partnerships of local municipalities for EE/RE project Xdevelopment and implementation.

Provide information on, improve access to and facilitate applications of lo- Xcal municipalities for EE/RE project funding from national and international donors.

The major target sectors addressed by the associations in their strategies are in most cases:

- Buildings - residential and public.

- Street lighting.

- Public Transport.

Other target sectors for EE/RE related activities which are mentioned in soime associations’ strate gies are e.g.: industry, commerce, agri culture, water supply etc.

C.5 Strengths and weaknesses of the network regarding its potential role in the promotion of EE and RE applications (SWOT analysis)

For each of the associations, the members of the study group per formed a detailed SWOT analysis in cooperation with the association’s management and experts. The results of these SWOT analyses have been very specific.

Assuming that the strategic potentials of the NALAS network are based upon the synergy of the strategic potentials of its member associations, the analysis of the strategic potentials of NALAS in the field of EE and RE is presented in the following table as the synthesis of the associations’ SWOT matrices. In the first step, the SWOT analysis is focusing on the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) determining the network’s strategic potential in the fields of EE and RE.

30


Strategic position of NALAS and its member associations regarding the promotion of EE and RE in member municipalities (SWOT Analysis Part I)STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

Established international network of SEE XXmunicipalities and their national associations.

National coverage of associations.XXUnderstanding of the national political and legal XXsystems.

Cooperation with national institutions.XXLarge number of member municipalities. XXGood reputation in front of the public.XXHigh acceptance among local stakeholders.XXKey position in the flow of information to and XXfrom municipalities.

Close cooperation with municipalities.XXAccess to a network of qualified local EE/RE XXexperts.

Established cooperation platforms (TFEE and XXmember associations’ EE committees).

Efficient internal communication, coordination XXand cooperation.

Liaison with national and international donors.XXExperience in writing projects receiving funds XXfrom the EU and from other donors.

Cooperation in existing development projects XXthat are dealing with EE/RE issues.

Membership in international initiatives and XXnetworks on RE/EE in municipalities.

Exchange of ideas, know-how and experience.XXFacilitation of seminars, workshops, conferences, XXstudy visits, regional trainings, etc.

Preparation and publication of educational XXmaterials, brochures, leaflets, labels, etc.

Capacity building facilities.XX

Low priority of EE/RE issues in the some member XXassociations.

Lack of EE/RE strategy in some member associations.XXLack EE/RE committees in most of the member XXassociations.

Limited manpower resources available for EE/RE related XXactivities at the member associations’ level.

Lack of EE/RE know-how and experience of the member XXassociations’ own staff.

Services for the members remain poorXX

Weak connection with state agencies and other XXorganizations dealing with EE/RE (in some countries).

Budget restrictions.XXAssociations‘ dependence on donors.XXLack of Financial capacities of members.XXLack of funds from the banking system for EE/RE XXprojects.

Lack of interest to participate (of individual XXmunicipalities).

Communication bottle-necks impeding the flow of XXinformation to and from municipalities.

Lack of presence of EE committees in the media.XXLack of visibility and public relations.XXLack of centralized information.XX

In the second step, the performed SWOT analysis is focussing on external factors (opportunities and threats) which may have an impact on the networks’ strategic potential to promote the im-pro vement of EE and the use of RE at the local level of the associations’ member municipalities.

31

Strategic position of NALAS and its member associations regarding the promotion of EE and RE in member municipalities (SWOT Analysis Part II)OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

Rich EE/RE potential in all SEE countries.XXLiberalization of energy markets and increasing energy XXprices raise awareness of existing EE/RE potentials and of the benefits of their utilization.

Feed-in tariffs for power generated from RE are creating XXeconomic incentives for the use of RE.

Interest of the banking sector in EE/RE projects is XXemerging / increasing.

EE/RE funds available from the EU, UNDP, KfW, EBRD XXand other donors.

Political pressure to harmonise national energy policies XXwith EU Directives is increasing.

National governments are motivated to develop the XXnecessary EE/RE legislation and regulations.

All SEE countries are committed to at least one XXinternational agreement (EnCT, ECT, Kyoto) which is requiring the implementation of actions related to the development of EE and RE measures.

Increasing number of countries adopting and XXimplementing National EE/RE Action Plans.

Increasing number of municipalities committing XXthemselves to the Covenant of Mayors (currently approx. 46 cities from BiH, AL, HR, BG, MK, MD, RO, SLO, TR).

Increasing number of municipalities are developing and XXadopting SEAPs or MEEAPs.

Increasing number of (mostly large) municipalities are XXestablishing Energy Management units within their local administration.

Synergies between EE/RE and climate change mitigation XXissues are well understood at all government levels.

Some countries are ahead of others in the fields of EE/XXRE and can create follower effects.

Substantial knowledge base on EE/RE issues is available XXin scientific and educational institutions in all SEE countries.

Political instability.XXEconomic crisis and it’s influence on local XXbudgets.

Unstable energy markets.XX

Low public awareness of EE/RE potentials and of XXthe benefits of their use.

Local resistance to change.XXBureaucracy impeding EE/RE project XXdevelopment and implementation.

Little project development skills in the public XXsector.

Lack of energy consumption data.XXLack of Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP).XXLack of technical know-how and experience at XXthe local level.

Lack of training and technical assistance. XXLack of financial capacity of municipalities.XXLack of experience with PPP projects.XXLack of incentives for local stakeholders.XXLack of energy management systems and XXprocedures in place e.g. in public administration.

Change of political priorities (reducing focus on XXEE/RE issues) because of deteriorating national economies.

Subsidised energy prices do not yet cover the full XXcost of supply.

Feed-in tariffs may be insufficient to secure XXeconomic feasibility of EE and RE projects over their full pay-back period.

Complicate rights of (collective) ownership XXcreating additional barriers to EE measures in residential buildings.

Deteriorating infrastructure (e.g. district heating, XXpower distribution, water supply) may increase energy losses.

International private investors may tend to avoid XXthe risk of investing in EE/RE projects in SEE as there are still less risky alternatives in the rest of Europe.

32


C.6 Network capacities dedicated to the promotion of EE and RE applications

In a number of member associations, an operational and/or advisory body on EE and RE, which may serve as an operational counterpart for the TFEE at the association’s level, has already been established:

SOGFBiH: X Committee for Urban Planning and Protection of Environment is responsible among other subjects, for activities related to EE/RE.

ALVRS: X Board for EE was established in 2008 in order to improve the EE situ-ation on the local level through networking, promotion and education.

NAMRB: X Strategic partnership was signed in 2005 regarding EE and sustain-able development of Bulgarian municipalities between the EE Agency, the Municipal Network for EE EcoEnergy and NAMRB.

AKM: X Commission on EE was established within the framework of the Colle-gium of Directors of Directorates for Public Services.

SCTM: X Committee for EE with 3 working groups: - WG for Communal Energy. - WG for Renewable Energies. - WG for EE in Public Buildings.

Most of the associations have not yet established in their organisation a permanent working structure or committee on EE/RE issues. In some cases this is of course due to a general lack of sufficient operational capacity within the organization of the association. In some other cases this is probably due to the fact that EE/RE issues have not been in the centre of the associations’ and their member municipalities scope until now.

Establishment of an institutional counterpart for the NALAS TFEE in all member associations with a clear focus on EE/RE-related measures will by a basic requirement for the implementation of joint activities and programs aiming at the effective promotion of EE/RE in municipalities.

33

C.7 Lessons learnt from EE/RE initiatives of SEE municipalities

The study team identified and evaluated 40 good practice examples of EE/RE initiatives and projects implemented by member municipalities. A survey on the project categories and of the different groups of involved international partners is given in the table on the next page.

The lessons learnt from the case studies are the following:

EE potentials: X

- Large EE potentials are found in the building sectors of all SEE countries as the construction and maintenance of buildings if often poor and specific energy consumption in these buildings is relatively high.

- Return of investment from EE measures may be high, depending on the starting situation and the kind of measures taken.

- Street lighting projects are easiest to tackle and may perform as “ice breakers”.

General requirements: X

- Capacity building is always an urgent request.

- Cooperation between the municipalities should be improved.

- Mentality of population and specific local conditions should be taken into consideration.

- Base line data are needed in order to give evidence to energy savings later on.

- Establishment of EE units in municipal administrations will help to improve effectiveness and sustainability of EE/RE activities of local municipalities.

34


Case studies

Project categoriesCase study described by the following

associations

AA

M

SO

GFB

iH

ALV

RS

NA

MR

B

UO

RH

AK

M

ZE

LS

CA

LM

UO

M

A.C

o.R

SC

TM

SO

S

UM

M

Municipal EE action planning (MEEAP) EE&RE • • •

Energy management in municipal administrations EE • • •

Capacity building campaigns EE&RE • • • •

Awareness building campaigns EE • •

Energy audits for public buildings EE • •

Improvement of EE in public buildings EE • • • • • • •

Application of heat pumps in public buildings RE •Geothermal energy utilization for the heating of public buildings

RE •

Utilization of solar water heaters in public buildings RE •EE House (demonstration of low energy building concepts)

EE&RE •

Utilization of biomass fuel for district heating RE •

District cooling EE&RE •Renovation and improvement of EE of residential buildings

EE • •

Co-financing of solar water heaters for residential buildings

RE •

Energy efficient reconstruction of street light systems EE • • • • •

Solar PV panels for street lighting RE •

Street lighting cadastre EE •Small hydro electric power stations for local power supply

RE •

EE in industries EE •

Cooperation / co-financing partners

National EE Funds • •

National Energy Agencies • •

Private investors •

UNDP • • • •

European Commission • •

EBRD •

GTZ • • • •

ADC •Grant for peace and reconciliation initiatives in the Western Balkans (Norway)

• •

USAID • •

Hellenic Aid / Centre for RE resources •

35

Case studies

Project categoriesCase study described by the following

associations

AA

M

SO

GFB

iH

ALV

RS

NA

MR

B

UO

RH

AK

M

ZE

LS

CA

LM

UO

M

A.C

o.R

SC

TM

SO

S

UM

M

Municipal EE action planning (MEEAP) EE&RE • • •

Energy management in municipal administrations EE • • •

Capacity building campaigns EE&RE • • • •

Awareness building campaigns EE • •

Energy audits for public buildings EE • •

Improvement of EE in public buildings EE • • • • • • •

Application of heat pumps in public buildings RE •Geothermal energy utilization for the heating of public buildings

RE •

Utilization of solar water heaters in public buildings RE •EE House (demonstration of low energy building concepts)

EE&RE •

Utilization of biomass fuel for district heating RE •

District cooling EE&RE •Renovation and improvement of EE of residential buildings

EE • •

Co-financing of solar water heaters for residential buildings

RE •

Energy efficient reconstruction of street light systems EE • • • • •

Solar PV panels for street lighting RE •

Street lighting cadastre EE •Small hydro electric power stations for local power supply

RE •

EE in industries EE •

Cooperation / co-financing partners

National EE Funds • •

National Energy Agencies • •

Private investors •

UNDP • • • •

European Commission • •

EBRD •

GTZ • • • •

ADC •Grant for peace and reconciliation initiatives in the Western Balkans (Norway)

• •

USAID • •

Hellenic Aid / Centre for RE resources •

Recommendations: X

- EE projects in schools, hospitals, public institutions and residential buildings may have a particularly high impact on public education and awareness building.

- Awareness building campaigns should be based upon target-group specific argumentation (e.g. focusing on environmental concerns for educated target-groups, focusing on economic concerns for poor people).

- Domestic production of adapted EE/RE technologies should have a high priority.

- Learning by doing during demonstration projects should be implemented as the basis of further activities on site.

- Alternative forms of financing (PPP, credit, loans, etc.) should be more actively used for local projects.

- Local project development should be based upon: - Preparation of annual EE programs. - Monitoring of consumption of Energy. - Development of national databases for energy consumption and climate parameters. - Utilizing alternative sources of energy to promote energy savings.

The quintessence of the lessons learnt may be sum marised as follows:

Municipal EE/RE initiatives should always be developed on the basis of Xclear baseline data within the framework of agreed Municipal EE/RE Action Plans.

Transparent and reliable monitoring and the publication of achieved results Xin terms of energy savings, pollution reduction or financial benefits are a must.

Each EE/RE initiative should always include active capacity building and Xpublic awareness campaigns.

Funds for the financing of RE or EE projects are available from different Xnational and international sources and may be actively raised.

Cooperation and exchange of know-how and experience between munici- Xpalities needs to be improved.

36


C.8 Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE and potential contributions of NALAS and its member associations

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local level

Potential contributions of NALAS and its member associations

Policies

Increasing of political •Xawareness of EE/RE potentials at the local level and the benefits of their utilization.

Ensuring of sustainable •Xpolitical support.

Regular contacts to government representatives.

Facilitation of roundtables and workshops on EE/RE issues.

Presentation of good practice examples from member municipalities as well as from SEE and EU countries.

Publication of success stories of EE/RE at the local level with reference to the importance of political support from different levels of government.

Establishment and/or •Xdevelopment of national EE Agencies.

Advocating the municipalities’ interests in front of involved government authorities.

Establishment and/or •Xdevelopment of national EE funds.


Development and adoption •Xof National EE/RE Action Plans.

Organisation of the participation of municipalities in the planning process.

Facilitation of the collection and delivery of data from the local level.

Development and •Ximplementation of Municipal EE/RE Action Plans.

Organisation of conferences, seminars, workshops etc. for the training of municipal experts and for the exchange of know-how and experience between them.

Provision of a list of qualified local experts who may provide required support.

Legislation

Improvement of the legal •Xframework conditions for EE/RE projects.

Harmonisation of national •Xlegislation with relevant EU Directives on EE/RE.

Facilitation of the exchange of experience regarding the impacts of harmonising national legislation with EU Directives on EE/RE at the local level.

Advocating the municipalities’ interests regarding the promotion of EE/RE at the local level during consultations and hearings on draft legislation.

National institutions

Capacity building of national •Xauthorities.

Facilitation of training seminars on specific aspects of the planning and implementation of EE/RE projects at the local level.

Establishment of a database (in the public section of the web-based NALAS knowledge centre) on EE/RE issues in SEE, including e.g. best practice examples regarding:

National legislation on EE/ RE issues.Administrative procedures for planning and permitting EE/RE projects.Technical/financial engineering of EE/RE projects.

Financial framework conditions

37

C.8 Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE and potential contributions of NALAS and its member associations



Policies

Increasing of political •Xawareness of EE/RE potentials at the local level and the benefits of their utilization.

Ensuring of sustainable •Xpolitical support.

Regular contacts to government representatives.

Facilitation of roundtables and workshops on EE/RE issues.

Presentation of good practice examples from member municipalities as well as from SEE and EU countries.

Publication of success stories of EE/RE at the local level with reference to the importance of political support from different levels of government.

Establishment and/or •Xdevelopment of national EE Agencies.


Establishment and/or •Xdevelopment of national EE funds.


Development and adoption •Xof National EE/RE Action Plans.

Organisation of the participation of municipalities in the planning process.

Facilitation of the collection and delivery of data from the local level.

Development and •Ximplementation of Municipal EE/RE Action Plans.

Organisation of conferences, seminars, workshops etc. for the training of municipal experts and for the exchange of know-how and experience between them.

Provision of a list of qualified local experts who may provide required support.

Legislation

Improvement of the legal •Xframework conditions for EE/RE projects.

Harmonisation of national •Xlegislation with relevant EU Directives on EE/RE.

Facilitation of the exchange of experience regarding the impacts of harmonising national legislation with EU Directives on EE/RE at the local level.

Advocating the municipalities’ interests regarding the promotion of EE/RE at the local level during consultations and hearings on draft legislation.

National institutions

Capacity building of national •Xauthorities.

Facilitation of training seminars on specific aspects of the planning and implementation of EE/RE projects at the local level.

Establishment of a database (in the public section of the web-based NALAS knowledge centre) on EE/RE issues in SEE, including e.g. best practice examples regarding:

National legislation on EE/ RE issues.Administrative procedures for planning and permitting EE/RE projects.Technical/financial engineering of EE/RE projects.

Financial framework conditions



Creation of financial •Xincentives for RE applications.

Advocating the municipalities’ economic interests and representation of the member municipalities in hearings and consultations on draft regulations.

Improvement of municipal •Xratings in front of national and international donors.

Training of municipal officials in the financial engineering of EE/RE projects.

Facilitation of the exchange of know-how and experience.

Introduction of models •Xof PPP, ESCOs or TPF for EE/RE projects of municipalities.

Training of municipal staff.

Distribution of information on best practice examples for PPP and TFP.


Increase support from •Xinternational donors.

Liaison with international donors and advocating the municipalities’ interests in co-financing of EE/RE projects in front of them.

Initiation and facilitation of project co-operation/co-financing of municipalities with interested donors.

Local capacities

Public awareness building.•X

Facilitation of the exchange of know-how and experience between municipalities.

Establishment of municipal cooperation and networks on awareness building campaigns.

Initiation of national or international campaigns in cooperation wioth all (or a majority) of the associations’ member municipalities.

Establishment of energy •Xmanagement units in local municipalities.

Training of municipal energy managers.

Establishment of a data base of municipal energy managers.


Integration of aspects of EE •Xinto local budget rules and practice.

Provision of training seminars and information (e.g. through the NALAS knowledge centre) on EE practices in daily administration (e.g. in procurement, construction, building management, water supply, district heating, power supply, fleet management etc.).

Facilitate the exchange of know-how and experience.

Introduction of Demand •XSide Management concepts at all levels of municipal energy management.

Moderation/facilitation of local workshops, roundtables.

Dissemination of good practice.


Technical advice.

Improvement of •Xadministrative efficiency of procedures related to the planning and permitting of EE/RE projects.

Training of local administrative staff.

Dissemination of good practice.


Establishment of public EE •Xservice offices at the local level.

Facilitation of the exchange of relevant know-how and experience.

Assistance in the development of action plans and business plans.

Training of staff of newly established EE service offices.

Provision of access to information on grant sources and technical as well as legal project requirements.

EE/RE training of staff at all •Xadministrative levels.

Training of trainers.

Facilitation of training seminars.

38


C.9 Potential interaction between NALAS and its member associations in the promotion of EE and RE applications

Interaction models for NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications

Contributions from NALAS » Action fields « Contributions from member associations

Facilitation of TFEE.

Membership in and active cooperation with international EE initiatives of networks of

municipalities.

Participation in international working groups.

Presentations to international conferences, workshops and seminars.

Reporting to TFEE.

» International networking «

Active participation in TFEE.

Delegation of experts to represent NALAS in

international networks and working groups of municipalities or in international conferences.

Reporting to TFEE.

Facilitation of the international exchange of know-how and experience.

Presentation and dissemination of international good practice.

Organisation of international seminars and conferences in SEE.

»Develop ment of the legal

framework at the national level

«Lobbying at the national level.

Advocating the municipalities’ interest in front of national

authorities.

Representation of municipalities during hearings and

consultations.

Participation in international conferences and seminars

organized by NALAS.

» National Energy Action Planning «

Collection, presentation and dissemination of international best practice.

Organization of conferences, seminars and workshops at the network level for the exchange

of know-how and experience.

»Municipal EE/RE Action Planning

(MEEAP/MREAP/

SEAP)

«

Evaluation and dissemination of best practice from the

associations’ member municipalities.

Organisation of local training workshops, consultations and

round tables.

Technical advice and training on the job.

39

C.9 Potential interaction between NALAS and its member associations in the promotion of EE and RE applications



Facilitation of TFEE.

Membership in and active cooperation with international EE initiatives of networks of

municipalities.

Participation in international working groups.

Presentations to international conferences, workshops and seminars.

Reporting to TFEE.

» International networking «

Active participation in TFEE.

Delegation of experts to represent NALAS in

international networks and working groups of municipalities or in international conferences.

Reporting to TFEE.

Facilitation of the international exchange of know-how and experience.

Presentation and dissemination of international good practice.

Organisation of international seminars and conferences in SEE.

»Develop ment of the legal

framework at the national level

«Lobbying at the national level.

Advocating the municipalities’ interest in front of national

authorities.

Representation of municipalities during hearings and

consultations.

Participation in international conferences and seminars

organized by NALAS.

» National Energy Action Planning «

Collection, presentation and dissemination of international best practice.

Organization of conferences, seminars and workshops at the network level for the exchange

of know-how and experience.

»Municipal EE/RE Action Planning

(MEEAP/MREAP/

SEAP)

«

Evaluation and dissemination of best practice from the

associations’ member municipalities.

Organisation of local training workshops, consultations and

round tables.

Technical advice and training on the job.



Sharing of best practice from the region and from EU Member States.

Presentation and dissemination of information on model campaigns including suitable messages, communication methods and channels for public

awareness campaigns on EE/RE issues.

Identification of potential obstacles for efficient public awareness campaigns.

Cooperation projects at network level.

» Awareness raising campaigns «

Sharing of best practice from member municipalities.

Experience from previous awareness campaigns (e.g. in

the field of waste management).

Moderation / facilitation of local workshops and

roundtables on joint awareness building campaigns involving local authorities and public

stakeholders.

Initiation of pilot projects in the municipalities (learning by

doing).

Provision of up-to-date information through the web based NALAS knowledge centre.

Facilitation of comparative training needs analyses.

Support to the establishment of EE Committees in the member associations.

Development and demonstration of model training seminars.

Facilitation of regional training seminars.


Trainer data base.

» Capacity development «

Motivation of public authorities, training institutions, private

companies etc. to delegate their staff to the training.

Facilitation of national and local training seminars.

Acquisition of trainees.


Evaluation of training seminars.

Provision of on-the job training in the context of technical and

financing advice provided to municipalities.

Support to the establishment of EE Committees at the local

level and at the level of national networks of municipalities.

International best practice in EE education at the level of primary and secondary schools as

well as at the level of technical training colleges, academies and universities.

Model curricula for EE education in primary and secondary schools.

Facilitation of the international exchange of know-how and experience between technical colleges, academic institutions and universities providing

specialized training on EE/RE issues.

Mobilisation of international technical and training assistance within the framework of donor-funded

training development projects.

» Education (schools) «

Motivate authorities in the education sector to authorize the integration of EE courses into existing or new curricula.

Organize local and national round tables and workshops.

Mobilise and enable local authorities and institutions

to participate in international cooperation projects in the

field of education and training development

40




Collection, presentation and dissemination of international best practice examples.

Organization of workshops and seminars at the network level for the exchange of know-how and experience between member associations and

selected municipalities.

» Municipal buildings Technical advice and training on the job during the audits according to international

standards such as e.g. EPBD (EU Directive 2002/91/EC)

Promotion of best practice examples for EE in public

services (e.g. power distribution, district heating, and water

supply).

» Public services «

» Private households «Promotion of EE consumer

behaviour.

Promotion of EE household appliances.

» Private households «Promotion of EE consumer

behaviour.

Promotion of EE household appliances.

Collection, presentation and dissemination of international best practice examples.

Organization of workshops and seminars at the network level for the exchange of know-how and experience between member associations and

selected municipalities.

» Commerce & Industry «

Support to municipalities in motivating and enabling

industries to participate in the development and to contribute to the implementation of local

SEAPs.

Facilitating local round tables and working groups involving

municipal and industrial actors.

Dissemination of international experience in implementing EE measures in public transport. » Public transport «

Raising awareness of EE potentials in public transport at

the local level.

Provision of an overview of EE HVAC technologies.

Dissemination of experience in switching from fossil fuels to RE, e.g. in the public sector.

»Heating,

ventilation, air conditioning

«Technical advice and training on the job during the auditing

of buildings according to international standards such

as e.g. EPBD (EU Directive 2002/91/EC).

Promotion of good practice examples for EE and RE in street

lighting, heating and cooling.

Overview on economically efficient lighting technology.

International experience in switching to EE and RE technologies for public lighting.

» Lighting «

Overview of the most applicable cogen eration technologies for utilization in public sector.

International experience in utilizing cogeneration facilities in public sector, probably in combination

with RE (e.g. biomass, biogas, and waste).

» CHP «

Raising awareness of the potentials and benefits of CHP applications among municipal

decision makers and local stakeholders.

Promotion of the integration of the concept of CHP into

Municipal EE/RE Action Plans.

41



Dissemination of experience in implementing energy savings incentives for public authorities as well as for private households, for commerce and

for industries.

» Energy saving incentives «

Sharing experience in implementing energy saving

incentives for public authorities, private households, commerce

and industries.

Technical, legal and financial advice to the development of incentive programmes

promoting EE at the local level.

Collection and dissemination of information on international funding sources for EE/RE projects.

Organisation of information events and training workshops.

» Project financing «

Collect and disseminate information on national funding

sources for EE/RE projects.

Assistance and training on the job in the compilation of bankable project documents.

Organisation of information events and training workshops.

C.10 Important partners

The member associations screened institutions which are dealing with EE/RE-related issues in order to identify important cooperation partners at the national and local level. They found important partners among the following groups:

- National Ministries and State Agencies dealing with EE/RE issues.

- National / Regional EE Agencies / Centres.

- National EE funds.

- National power suppliers.

- NGOs.

- Regional Energy Agencies and Regional Development Agencies.

- Chambers of Commerce.

- Trade associations of service and equipment providers for RE projects.

- Private companies.

- Municipal Networks / Committees for EE.

- Universities and other academic or training institutions.

- Local municipalities and their different service units.

- Local power distributors and district heating companies.

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At the international level NALAS is expected to provide additional support to its member asso ciations by means of facilitating contacts and co-operations with international initiatives on EE/RE in municipalities as well as by means of cooperating with international donors which are interested in supporting EE/RE projects in SEE, such as e.g.:

International Do- Xnors:

UNDP- UNDP GEF- UNECE- World Bank- EC- EBRD- GTZ- ADC- KfW- USAID- USAID - Hellenic AidSIDA- etc.-

International EE networks: X

Energy Community Treaty (EnCT)- Covenant of Mayors (CoM)- European Green Cities Network - (ECGN)Local Governments for sustainability - (ICLEI)Regional Centre for the Efficient Use - of Energy and Water Resources in SEE (RENEUER)Municipalities Network for EE - (MUNEE)RE & EE Partnership (REEEP)- Council of European Municipalities & - Regions (CEMR)Regional Cooperation Committee - (RCC)Congress of Local and Regional - Authorities of the Council of EuropeAssociation of European local - authorities promoting local sustainable energy policies (Energie Cités)European Foundation for the - Development of the Regions (FEDRE)etc.-

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C.11 Conclusions and recommendations

The promotion and use of EE and RE potentials is of growing economic and social importance for municipalities in SEE. Cooperation within the NALAS network is helping to increase the political influence of local au thorities on EE/RE-related policies at the national level as well as to develop their technical and institutional capacities and to raise additional funds for the joint development and imple men tation of EE/RE initiatives.

Stakeholders interviewed within the framework of the study are sharing this expectation and request NALAS to take a role as a major key player in the development of local capacities, international project partnerships and co-financings for the utilization of EE/RE potentials on site.

Communication links, cooperation schemes and interaction models which have been imple mented in NALAS may be used also for joint activities promoting EE/RE in SEE munici palities.

Next steps should aim at:

Increasing awareness of the potentials and benefits of EE and RE applications Xin municipalities at all levels of decision making in the NALAS member asso-ciations.

Establishing EE/RE Committees in all NALAS member associations. X

Implementing a common EE/RE strategy in the strategic concepts and work Xprograms of NALAS member associations.

Installing a knowledge base within the NALAS website providing best practice Xexamples of EE and RE applications in SEE municipalities.

Developing a target-oriented action plan for NALAS TFEE based upon the Xstudy findings.

These next steps and all further NALAS activities aiming at promoting EE and RE potentials and their utilization in municipalities may be based on the findings of the study, at the network level as well as at the level of individual member associations.

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D. Summaries of the associations’ reports

In the following tables, the major findings from the associations’ reports are summa-rized with regard to:

Strategic background: X

- Objectives.

- Strengths and opportunities.

- Important partners.

- Exemplary initiatives of local municipalities.Conclusions and recommendations: X

- Actual potentials.

- Lessons learnt from previous initiatives.

- Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications.

- Association’s potential contributions to NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications.

A synthesis of the achieved results is given in Section C above.

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D.1 Albanian Association of Municipalities (AAM)

Authors: Dr. Eng. Edmond M. HIDO / Ada ILIA

Strategic background of the association’s potential role in promoting EE and RE applications•XObjectives:•X

AAM Mission:- Protection of common interests of Albanian municipalities with the purpose of achieving and development

of real democratization and decentralization, meeting the European local government standards in compliance with European Charter of Local Government.AAM Scope of Work: - Identification, generalization and protection of common interest of the municipalities, in the process of decentralization and other local self-government reforms. Provision of services for the municipalities, with the purpose of building the decision making and execution capacities of the administration through trainings, expertise, workshops or seminars, publications, information and statistics, exchange experience in and out of Albania and generalization of best practices, etc. Lobbying with the central government bodies in the process of municipality legislation drafting; lobbying with international partners on different municipality development projects, especially those projects which improve the quality and range of services.Relevant objectives of the National Energy Strategy:- Promotion of efficient and economic use of energy and with a minimal effect on the environment, in a way that the energy sector becomes a supporting sector for the sustainable development of all the other economic and social sectors of Albania. Promotion of the use of RES of different type (solar energy, small power stations, wind, and biomass) in order to allow for the optimum utilization of the local resources.

Strengths and opportunities:•XStrengths:

Lobbying capacities.- Close relations with municipalities.- Collaborative and active members.- Technical expertise. (AAM has experience in writing EU projects, organizing seminars, conferences etc.)- Information potential. (AAM is a NALAS member. It provides international information and experience.)- AAM has many years of expertise in spreading information, giving best practices examples, and in - mobilizing the municipalities in implementing common activities and projects.

Opportunities:AAM is member in:-

Consultative Council of business.Albania development Fund.Regional Development Committee.

Possibilities to get funds for EE projects.- Good relations and collaboration with EC and with national partners.- Municipal EE action plan.- Support from international donors.- Support from NALAS.-

Important Partners:•XMinistry of Economy Trade and Energy (METE).- National Agency for Natural Resources (NANR).- Municipalities.- KFW “Project on Renewable and EE”.- ENSI.- Albania-EU EE Centre (EEC).- USAID - Different small scale pilot projects.- UNDP - First & Second National Communication.- UNDP Global Solar Water Heating Project.- REC - Regional Environmental Centre.- World Bank (CDM Carbon Financing).-

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D.1 Albanian Association of Municipalities (AAM)

Authors: Dr. Eng. Edmond M. HIDO / Ada ILIA

Exemplary initiatives of member munici palities:•XEE Planning in Albanian Municipalities - Capacity Building - Phase 1.- Municipal EE Planning (MEEP) Program.- Co-Financing Scheme for Implementing Solar Thermal Water Systems in Residential Buildings in Albanian - Municipalities.EE Planning in Albanian Municipalities - Capacity Building - Phase 2.-

Conclusions and recommendations•XActual potentials:•X

Capacity development.- Development of the legal framework.- Lobbying.- Organizing the AAM web page as the best means for the dissemination of experience and information.- Establishing an EE information desk in the association’s office.- Helping and representing our members in the improvement and development of the legislative framework - for EE/RE.

AAM will organize several seminars and trainings in EE to raise the awareness and for capacity building.

AAM will use its networks to establish links for further cooperation with international partners for financing EE and RE projects.

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XTechnical assistance at local level is crucial and effective in building local institutional capabilities. - Learning by doing through participation in pilot projects is very important in creating a base for future - actions.There is a need of raising awareness in EE issues.- Helping municipalities in developing Municipal Energy Efficiency Plans.-

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XImplementing common projects on capacity development and on raising awareness.- Publishing materials and booklets.- Disseminating best practices. - Organizing seminars and conferences.-

Association’s potential contributions to NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•X AAM should have the main role in EE projects for all our members. This includes:

Exchange of experience, knowledge and lessons learnt. - Dissemination of model and of best experience.- Organization of study visits for municipality staff.- Support of municipalities in getting funds from international donors.- Provision of useful information on the actual situation and achievements regarding EE in other SEE - countries. Organisation of training seminars for the municipalities’ EE experts.- Identify the needs and potentials of members.-

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D.2 Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SOGFBiH)

Author: Goran KRSTOVICStrategic background of the association’s potential role in promoting EE and RE applications•X

Objectives:•XDecentralisation.- Harmonization of local legislation.- Work with the central government.- Strategy of economic development.- Strengthening of the association and its role.- Establishment of a coordination body at the state level.- International relations and cross-border cooperation.- Co-operation with associations, nongovernmental organizations, international institutions and - organizations.


Developed network of local experts in the fields of EE and RE in the FBiH.- Rich EE and RE potential to be utilized at local level.- Close cooperation between municipalities in the FBiH through the association.- The association’s own strategic orientation regarding EE and RE on local level.- Important role of the association’s Committee for Urban Planning and Environmental Protection for the - development of EE and RE at the local level.Providing support in establishing links with financial institutions regarding local economic development.- Supporting cooperation on local economic development between municipalities from both entities through - a coordination body on the state level.Supporting international information exchange through participation in NALAS. -

Opportunities:Development of National EE Action Plan.- Development of Municipal EE Action Plans.- Establishment of energy management units within local governments.- Liberalization of energy markets.- EU Directive for EE in buildings (2002).- EU funds for EE and RE.- Development of regulations on public-private partnership (PPP).- Development of acceptable feed-in tariffs for electricity produced from RE.- Banking sector interested in EE and RE projects.-

Important Partners:•XMinistry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH.- Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Ministry of Spatial Planning of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Ministry of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Cantonal governments.- Canton Sarajevo - Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment.- European Commission, KfW, EBRD, World Bank, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Grant for peace - and reconciliation initiatives in the Western Balkans, USAID, UNDP, GTZ, Public utility companies, Private companies and individual experts.

Exemplary initiatives of member munici palities:•XEnergy auditing in buildings – The School of Electrotechnics Sarajevo- Energy auditing in buildings – The Gracanica Municipality building- Energy auditing in buildings – University of Sarajevo, Faculty of mechanical Engineering building-

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D.2 Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SOGFBiH)

Author: Goran KRSTOVICConclusions and recommendations•XActual potentials:•X

Introducing EE and RE aspects to local government policies is one of the association’s recognized priorities - for local development. With help of domestic and international organizations and institutions, the association will in the interest of - LG units continuously work on the harmonization of local legislation. This will be accomplished through its established Committees (including the Committee for Urban Planning and Environmental protection which is responsible for EE and RE issues).Representing the municipalities in the development of the legislative framework for EE and RE at the entity - level is one of the priorities within the association’s activities in the field of sustainable energy use at the local level. The association is actively using its networks in order to establish links and cooperations which may help to - finance EE and RE projects. Regarding the strengthening of the association and its role in other fields other than economics and law, - such as the case with EE and RE, the Association is relying on external experts from specific fields.Furthermore, in terms of inter-entity cooperation the two associations have established a coordination body - on the State level, which will handle issues that are of interest for municipalities and cities in the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including among other things EE and RE. Regarding the international cooperation the association has become more involved and active in the work - of NALAS and is involved in the NALAS Task Force on EE.

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XNeed for more efficient cooperation between the municipalities.- Need for capacity building in technical and financial aspects of EE and RE projects.- Need for an efficient information system for energy management.- Need for energy management units within municipalities.-

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XOrganising an SEE seminar on experience with harmonizing national laws with EU Directive 2002/91/EC, - and 2006/32/EC.Establishing the SEE NALAS knowledge database on sustainable energy.- Organising an SEE training seminar in Financial Engineering in EE and RE projects in order to disseminate - experience between municipalities in SEE countries.Obtaining access to each energy manager to the NALAS knowledge database on sustainable energy.- Organising a SEE conference on sustainable energy planning in local communities in order to disseminate - experience between the members.

Association’s potential contributions to NALAS activities promoting EE and RE pplications:•XThe association should have a leading role in supporting initiatives fro EE and RE projects at the local level in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main role should cover networking and dissemination activities in the fields of EE and RE between the member municipalities. The support should be visible by:

Providing support to the networking of member municipalities in order to collect available data on energy - consumption for the purpose of development of the NEEAP.Organising a training program in Financial Engineering in EE and RE projects in order to provide support to - the municipalities for the improvement of their credit ratings.Organising training in sustainable energy management for municipal energy managers.- Providing a list of EE experts in FBiH to be involved in preparation of the Municipal EE Action Plans.- Organising trainings for municipal energy managers in energy monitoring.-

Furthermore, the association should also have a leading role in increasing public awareness of sustainable energy use. It should provide technical assistance to the member municipalities in organising a public awareness campaign.

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D.3 Association of Towns and Municipalities of the Republic of Srpska (ALVRS)

Author: Aleksandra STANIVUKOVICStrategic background of the association’s potential role in promoting EE and RE applications•X

Objectives:•XThe overall objective of the association is to activate local authorities, energy managers, policy-makers, market actors and other stakeholders in building and industry sectors for the achievement of energy savings, for the application of energy efficient techniques, and for the development of EE/RE products and services at the local level.

The specific objectives of the association are:To increase awareness, understanding and level of knowledge of the stakeholders in the member - municipalities through institutional and technical capacity building in order to improve EE and RE usage.To create sustainable conditions at local level for the application of EE and RE measures in order to achieve - short and long term energy savings as well as a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To disseminate information and strengthen networks at local, regional, national and international levels.- To find financing options for EE and RE projects in the member municipalities (e.g. domestic, EU or other IFI - funds).To promote the market development in the RS for EE technologies, products, materials and services. -

Strengths and opportunities regarding the association’s potential role in the field of EE and RE at the local •Xlevel:

Strengths:Professional background of the EE Board members:-

Business experience.Collaboration.Good internal communication.Organized coordination.

Specific Experience of the EE Board members:- Practical experience (engineering, energy auditing) in the residential, commercial and industrial sector. Consulting experience. Experience in designing and implementing projects at the local and international level.

Professional support by other boards in the association.- Opportunities are:

International pressure to change behaviour and improve applied practices in energy use and EP. - Institutional, residential and business demand for a substantial reduction of energy consumption.- Significant RE potentials in the RS. - New trends in developing and harmonizing standards, labelling program, testing procedures. - EE and RE programs funded by the national budget, European funds or other international organizations. - Support from the NALAS and its members.- Support from Local Development Agencies. - Changing trends in government policies. - Strong demand for capacity building.- Low competition. - Consumers’ demand for new technologies.- Ease of access to new technologies.-

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Author: Aleksandra STANIVUKOVICImportant partners:•X

Ministries of Republic of Srpska relevant to EE and RE (Ministry of Economy, Energy and Development; - Ministry of Urbanism, Civil Engineering and Ecology; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water and Ministry of science and technology).“Elektro privreda” (power generation and distribution company of Republic of Srpska).- Chamber of Economy and Industry of RS.- RARS Republic Agency for SME Development.- City development agencies.- NGO sector related to EE and RE.- UNDP- United National Development Program.- REC Regional Environmental Centre.-

Exemplary initiatives of local munici palities:•XThere are two projects in which EE Board members of the association are involved:

Sustainable Energy Action Plan in Banja Luka City - implemented by the City Counsel for Climate Changes- “Strengthening capacities in BiH to address environmental problems through remediation of high priority - hot spots”. Project organized in three components:

Remediation of two environmental hot spots in BiH.Raising of awareness and strengthening of local capacity.Mobilizing and enhancing professional capacity at all levels.

Despite the apparent lack of a sound legal and institutional framework, some small activities are taking place, with respect to EE and RE, including:

Production of biomass heating boilers (there is one company for production of special facilities for - combustion of biomass/waste in different processing industries).Wood-processing clusters in regional development agencies (identified the collection of waste wood as a RE - source for heating).Small scale building house insulation.- NGO initiatives on public information and awareness building.-


Professional capacity: all members of the EE board are experts in different fields of EE and RE topics with - considerable experience and they are able to provide technical and economical analyses, energy auditing, HVAC and architectural project design, information, education, or training programs for local authorities, energy managers, public institutions, building and industry sector.Good cooperation with all member municipalities.- Good cooperation with local, regional, national and international organizations: To find financing sources for - capacity building and pilot projects related to EE and RE for own implementation and for implementation by member municipalities (e.g. funding from domestic budget, EU or other IFIs funds).Developed network to disseminate information and to strengthen cooperation of stakeholders in member - municipalities at local, regional, national and international level.Networking and transfer of experience, suggestions and recommendations with NALAS and its member - associations.

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Author: Aleksandra STANIVUKOVICLessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•X

Clear definition of priorities for sustainable development is crucial for the development of - strategies aiming at the promotion of the improvement of EE and the utilization of RE.Systematic actions on local capacity building in municipalities are required to create of a more - favourable environment for EE investments on site. Domestic production of advanced technologies is first priority regarding the development of - new market opportunities for EE and RE products and services.Systematic clustering is improving the potential for the creation of bio-energy chains at all - levels.EE projects in schools, hospitals, public institutions and residential buildings do not only result - in technical and economic benefits but also in remarkable educational effects.Technical assistance targeted towards the implementation of pilot demonstration programs is - contributing also to institutional capacity building. Learning by doing during pilot projects or programs may be the basis for further activities on - site.

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Author: Aleksandra STANIVUKOVICPriority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local level:•X

Establish an EE service office (maybe through the Association) aiming at providing education and - consultancy to the association members (particularly to small municipalities which do not have their own capacities). It has to connect local authorities, municipal energy managements; budget financed institutions and other interested actors in the building and industry sector with NGOs, consulting agencies, development agencies, experts of economy, EE, RE and environment.Establish Revolving Energy Funds at municipalities level- Create energy action plans in major municipalities- Provide EE and RE education and training for stakeholders.- Ensure that minority, low income and disadvantaged communities fully participate in training and education - programs at all levelsDevelop DSM (demand side management) methodology in member municipalities- Find financing sources for EE and RE projects (projects funded by the domestic budget, European funds - or other international agencies) for capacity building programs and pilot/demonstration projects in the member municipalities.

Cooperation priorities:Make the cooperation with international organizations more efficient for member municipalities (financial - and development benefits).Strengthen the cooperation, communication and networking between institutions.- Rise interest, relation and cooperation between local and governmental authorities.- Strengthen public-private partnership and cooperation.-

Economic priorities:Improve the economy of the Republic of Srpska trough establishing an RE market and stimulation SMEs in - industries related to EE and RE.

Legal priorities:Decreasing of lobbies’ influence and corruption in the political scene.- Drafting of EE and RE laws for the Republic of Srpska level which are in line with FBiH laws on EE and RE as - well as with the relevant EU directives.Introduction of laws providing financial incentives (subsidies/special feed-in tariffs etc.) stimulating EE - measures, the application of new technologies and the utilization of RE in the building and industry sector.Laws on EE certification of building, EE standards and EE labelling of equipment and appliances.- Data gathering on energy consumption and renewable energy potentials and creation of a statistical - database.

Potential Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:To provide knowledge and experience of the NALAS member municipalities’ experts to the ALVRS. - To provide suggestions and recommendations based on implemented EE and RE activities and to present - examples of good practice from the NALAS member municipalities in following topics: awareness raising and capacity building; strategic planning; legal framework development; certification, energy auditing, EE measures and RE appliance in building and industry sector; Energy saving potentials (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting and transport); advantages of new techno logies; and EE and RE market development.To provide information and ensure opportunities for financing or co-financing of pilot projects and capacity - building projects.

Potential contributions to the NALAS network in the fields of EE and RE.To provide knowledge and experience of the Association experts to the NALAS and its member - municipalities.To provide suggestions and recommendations based on implemented EE and RE activities and to present - examples of good practice in the Republic of Srpska in the following topics: awareness raising and capacity building; municipal strategic planning (Banja Luka city); energy auditing, EE measures and RE appliance in industry sector; energy saving potentials (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting and transport); advantages of new techno logies; and EE and RE market development.

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D.4 National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB)

Author: Elena ANASTASOVA


NAMRB as a statutory representative and defender of municipalities’ interests:Plays a principal role in the development of local democracy in Bulgaria and the improvement of LG - capacity;Unites institutions, organizations and individuals who support the development of local self-governance;- Represents adequately Bulgarian local governments in the EU and plays a leading role in Southeast Europe.-

Strengths and opportunities:•XProviding assistance to LGs to introduce regulatory, economic, and institutional reforms.- Information transfer on the financing of EE projects and on the amendment of legal framework conditions. - Increasing the administrative capacity of the local authorities and providing assistance in organised - seminars, workshops, conferences, study visits, regional trainings, etc.Exchange of experience and ideas for EE/RE projects and promoting EE/RE financing mechanisms.- Dissemination of EE concept and strategy at the local municipal level.-

Important Partners:•XPartnership agreement was signed in 2005 between the EE Agency, the Municipal Network for EE - EcoEnergy and NAMRB. Potential partners of the NAMRB are also the Regional Associations of Municipalities and the Energy - Supply Companies.

Exemplary Initiatives of local munici palities:•XThe following EE/RE topics have to be on the priority list of local authorities:

Sustainable development of municipal energy sector.- Increasing living standards and quality of public services.- Clean and save environment.- Development capacity of municipalities in managing the use of energy resources.- Financing municipal EE.-


Promote the Covenant of Mayors initiatives.- Support the municipalities in preparing and applying for funding of sustainable EE projects and to - disseminate widely the good practices in the field of EE and RE.Increase synergies between local and national actors working on local sustainable development and - mitigation of global climate change.

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•X The initiatives as energy building performance and efficient public lightings contribute to:

Establishment of responsible civil behaviour against the climate change.- Motivation of local authorities to be a “Model” for their citizens and the other municipalities.-

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local level:•XPartnership between municipalities and private investors for implementing EE/RE measures.- Strong commitment of local authorities.- Good social acceptance as a result of raising awareness of EE/RE.- Technical and administrative monitoring and assessment.- Creation of public-private partnership.-

Expectations regarding NALAS activities related to the promotion of EE and RE:•XEstablish channels for exchanging information.- Promoting, appointing and building the capacity of energy managers or energy management teams in - Municipalities.Joint action for achieving better EE planning, management and monitoring.-

Potential contributions to NALAS activities in the fields of EE and RE:•XUseful exchange of experience and ideas for EE/RE projects.- Assessment of existing EE/RE barriers on local and national level.- EE and RES market development.-

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D.5 Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia (UORH)

Author: Goran PICHLER


Get involved with initiatives for EE and RE activities in Croatia. - Establish permanent cooperation with Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and - Construction, Environmental Protection and EE Fund, and LSU towards regional activities. Education of our members.-

Strengths and opportunities regarding the associations’ potential role in the field of EE and RE at the local •Xlevel.

Strengths:Method of constitution, great number of members – municipalities that can be directly approached.- Possibility of assuring quality experts for implementation of EE programs in Croatia.- Arranged laws and regulations pn EE and RE in Croatia, transferred EU directives.-

Opportunities:Possibilities for cooperation with cities that have participated in UNDP programs.- Possibility for using of financial funds EP& EE Fun.- Possibility for using funds from pre-accession assistance programs of EU.- No bureaucratic barriers in contact with investors, short period for making decision regarding to activities.-

Important Partners at the natio nal and local level:•XMinistry Economy, Ministry of EP, EP&EE Fund, HEP Esco Ltd, UNDP SGE project, regional energy agencies, regional development agencies.

Exemplary initiatives of member munici palities:•XUNDP SGE project.- Revetis project.- Demo passive hose project.-


Potential of great number of Croatian regions for project implementation.- Potential for gathering of national experts from Croatia for activity planning and implementation.- Potential for cooperation on EU projects regarding regional development and EE activities.-

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XGreat number of buildings does not meet the minimum requirements regarding construction physics, too much energy for heating is being consumed, and energy efficient reconstruction gives significant energy and money saving results. Even minimal actions of EE measures give the results and savings to cities and counties whether in heating or cooling. All actions for increase of EE are cost-effective, and should be implemented if possible. Biggest savings can be achieved in energy efficient reconstruction of street-lights in which the period of repayment is less than five years.

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local level:•XBetter bonding with stakeholders on national and regional level, giving information and education of cities and counties.

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XTransfer of know-how, methodology for project implementation, giving good practical examples.

Potential contributions to the NALAS activities in the fields of EE and RE.•XEnergy audits for buildings and public street-lights, transfer of methodology and education of counties.

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D.6 Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM)

Author: Maliq PIRECI


Association of Kosovo Municipalities so far has issued two strategic documents:- Strategic Plan of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities 2004 – 2006Strategic Plan of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities 2007 – 2009

AKM has issued as well “Policy Statement on Provision of Water, Waste Water, Solid Waste Services, EE and - Public Transport”.

Operational plans of initiatives, working groups etc. of the Association on EE and RE:AKM has issued two operational plans: -

Work Plan of the AKM Committee on Public Services 2008 - 2009Municipal Plan of the Action on Implementation of the Kosovo Program on EE 2008-2010

Methodological approach of activities and initiatives of the Association:

Since AKM is a members of NALAS, its methodological approach in the field of EE and RE, is almost the same as the NALAS approach.

AKM within its own organizations, as with the Committee or Commission, does liaison with different - relevant actors on the field of EE and RE, such as: Kosovo Municipalities, Central Government, donors, institutions, NGOs, etc.Through cooperation with German GTZ, AKM implements the Project “Modernization of Municipal - Services”.

Strengths and opportunities:•XStrengths

Structures have been created and have a final role.- Work regulation and operative plan exists.- Participation of municipal officers in regular meetings of the Committee.- It is set communication between AKM and MEM.- National Action Plan on EE and RE.-

OpportunitiesIncrease of officers’ number because of creation of new municipalities in Kosovo.- Readiness of other organizations to help and co-operate with AKM, such as: GTZ, SDC- Process of Local Self-Government Reform- New technologies-

D.5 Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia (UORH)

Author: Goran PICHLER


Get involved with initiatives for EE and RE activities in Croatia. - Establish permanent cooperation with Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and - Construction, Environmental Protection and EE Fund, and LSU towards regional activities. Education of our members.-

Strengths and opportunities regarding the associations’ potential role in the field of EE and RE at the local •Xlevel.

Strengths:Method of constitution, great number of members – municipalities that can be directly approached.- Possibility of assuring quality experts for implementation of EE programs in Croatia.- Arranged laws and regulations pn EE and RE in Croatia, transferred EU directives.-

Opportunities:Possibilities for cooperation with cities that have participated in UNDP programs.- Possibility for using of financial funds EP& EE Fun.- Possibility for using funds from pre-accession assistance programs of EU.- No bureaucratic barriers in contact with investors, short period for making decision regarding to activities.-

Important Partners at the natio nal and local level:•XMinistry Economy, Ministry of EP, EP&EE Fund, HEP Esco Ltd, UNDP SGE project, regional energy agencies, regional development agencies.

Exemplary initiatives of member munici palities:•XUNDP SGE project.- Revetis project.- Demo passive hose project.-


Potential of great number of Croatian regions for project implementation.- Potential for gathering of national experts from Croatia for activity planning and implementation.- Potential for cooperation on EU projects regarding regional development and EE activities.-

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XGreat number of buildings does not meet the minimum requirements regarding construction physics, too much energy for heating is being consumed, and energy efficient reconstruction gives significant energy and money saving results. Even minimal actions of EE measures give the results and savings to cities and counties whether in heating or cooling. All actions for increase of EE are cost-effective, and should be implemented if possible. Biggest savings can be achieved in energy efficient reconstruction of street-lights in which the period of repayment is less than five years.

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local level:•XBetter bonding with stakeholders on national and regional level, giving information and education of cities and counties.

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XTransfer of know-how, methodology for project implementation, giving good practical examples.

Potential contributions to the NALAS activities in the fields of EE and RE.•XEnergy audits for buildings and public street-lights, transfer of methodology and education of counties.

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Important Partners:•XPolitical power in the field of EE and RE in Kosovo have at the national level:-

Ministry of Energy and Mining (MEM) , Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP), Ministry of Finance and Economy (MFE), Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MEST).Kosovar Environment Protection Agency (KEPA).Energy Regulatory Office.International Civilian Office (ICO).Energetic Corporation of Kosova (KEK).

The municipalities have the local political power in Kosovo.- Technical expertise in the field of EE and RE have:-

Kosovar Association for RE and EE (AKEREE).Technical Faculties.GTZ through project “Modernization of Municipal Services”.United Nation Development Plan – UNDP, USAID, EPTISA (a consulting company), etc.

Financial power in the field of EE and RE in Kosovo have:- National authorities: MEM, MESP, KEPA, MFE, MEST.GTZ, UNDP, USAID, USAID, KfW, and the EC (through Regional Development Agencies) etc.

Some Kosovo Municipalities have foreseen a financial budget to invest in EE such as municipality of Prizren, Shtime, Gjilan etc.

Exemplary Initiatives of local munici palities:•XRenovation of public lighting with Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels on the main road in Shtime.- Measures for EE in public lighting of the city of Prizren.- Applying the efficiency measures in the school “Selami Hallaqi” in Gjilan.-


Energy Law no. 2004-8 and the Administrative Instruction drafted by MEM are strengthening the role - of munici pali ties and of AKM in the development of local energy strategies and in the implementation of MEEAPS/MREAPS.The help and support of NALAS and its member associations could be enhanced. It could focus on the - exchange of experience with member municipalities in all SEE countries. NALAS could also help in:

Capacity building of AKM and of its member municipalities (Collegia) in the fields of EE and RE. Creation of contacts and possibilities for joint projects.Improving access to funds for cross-border cooperation with municipalities in SEE.Liaison with EU countries within the framework of the Energy Community Treaty.

AKM can support NALAS activities in the fields of EE and RE by means of its own experience and its - lessons learnt from provious projects and ongoing activities. Further recommended steps are:-

Continuation of collaboration within NALAS and other associations.Constitution of collegiums – commissions in EE and RE issues.Re-approval of the existing policy paper on EE policies.Organization of a conference for the exchange of know-how and experience between municipalities.

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XEnergy saving potentials in municipal buildings and infrastructure in Kosovo are very large. They may be - systematically used if the required provisions are made in municipal budgets. Exchange of experience with and transfer of know-how from EU Member States (e.G. Germany) may help to - create project ideas for EE and RE measures in Kosovo.Each implemented project contributes to a steady progress in local capacity building.- The association’s engagement in the support of the municipalities and donors (in this case GTZ) in previous - projects has contributed to the achieved results in a substantial way.

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Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local level:•XIssuing of clear priorities for EE measures. - Kosovo Plan on EE 2009-2018.- Preparation and drafting of SEAPs at the municipal level.- Approval from the Assembly of Kosovo of the Law on EE.- Approval from the Government in Kosovo of the Law on Establishment of Offices on Energy in municipal - level.Appointment of a Municipal Officer on EE.- Design of databases on the energy consumption in public facilities. - Continuation of the project “Modernization of Municipal Services”.- Applying in projects within IPA.- Cooperation and co-financing of PPP-projects on EE.- Creation of Municipal Offices on EE.- Continued cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Mining.- Cooperation between Collegium of Public Services and Collegium of Finance.-

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XDissemination of models for awareness building concepts applied in the region.- Provision of expertise.- Exchange of experience on experience related to strategic energy planning at the local levels.- Exchange of legal concepts for the promotion of EE and RE in the region. - Organization of study visits aiming at the exchange of experience.- Dissemination of models for the implementation of EE building codes at the national level of SEE countries. - Dissemination of models and exchange of experience related to legal regulations promoting EE in various - sectors (industry, services, agriculture, transport, and households).Information on the actual situation and achievements regarding EE in SEE countries. - Information on latest RE technologies and dissemination of SEE experience in RE applications. -

Association’s potential contributions to NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XAKM could contribute to the exchange of information and experience with the results of the project on - street lighting with photovoltaic solar panels that is expected to be implemented in Shtime.

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D.7 Association of the Units of Local Self Government of the Republic of Macedonia (ZELS)

Author: Vladislav ZUPAN


Coordinate the efforts of municipalities to improve EE.- Advocate for institutional and legislative measures aiming at promoting EE improvements.- Create conditions for the reduction of energy costs.- Develop cooperation among municipalities for strengthening of their capacities.- Encourage public awareness of EE.- Share knowledge and experience between all stakeholders.- Build capacity in municipal administrations.-


Communication between the members within the established bodies.- Equality amongst members.- Solid reputation with the public.- Communication with and rating in front of donors.- Key position in the flow of information to and from municipalities.- Review of problems by the committees.- Non-partisan organization.-

Opportunities:Macedonia is candidate for EU.- Increasing of financial power of municipalities.- Access to EU funds and projects.- Policy for creation of regions.- Development of the system of LG in Macedonia.- Increase of energy prices is creating additional economic incentives for EE and RE measures.-

Important Partners:•XEBRD, World Bank.- GTZ, ADC, USAID, ENSI.- Joint Office of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of Macedonia with the Ministry - of Environment, Land and Sea of the Republic of Italy.UNDP Macedonia; UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF).- Ministry of Economy; Macedonian Energy Agency.- Centre for EE in Macedonia (MACEF).- Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts (MANU).- ELEM (state owned electric generation company).- EVN (supplier and distribution of electricity).- Toplifikacija Skopje (district heating company in Skopje).- Proaktiva (NGO).-

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Exemplary initiatives of local munici palities:•XPlan for EE (ENSI) – Municipalities of Kocani, Kisela Voda, Kavadarci, Struga, Stip.- Mitigating Climate Change through Improving EE in Public Buildings (UNDP).- Heating of Public Assets with Geothermal Water (GEF) – Municipality of Kocani.- Construction of Primary School JA Komenski (Municipality of Karpos) – Municipality of Karpos.- Small Hydro-electric Power Stations for Ohrid-Struga Region (Public-Private Partnership) – - Municipalities of Struga and Ohrid.


The credibility and image of ZELS.- Experience in advocacy and lobbying in the process for legislation.- Good communication in the bodies of the association and with the municipalities.- Equality of the members and non-partisan image of ZELS.-

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XInvestment in EE technology can have significant return on investment.- Alternative forms of financing exist outside of municipal budgets for funding EE projects (PPP, - credit, loans, etc.).Further project development should be based upon:-

Preparation of annual EE programs.Monitoring of consumption of Energy.Development of national database for energy consumption and climate parameters.Utilizing alternative sources of energy to promote energy savings.

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local •Xlevel:

Form a committee for EE on the level of ZELS with representatives from municipalities and - experts.Make a comparative analysis of legislation in the areas of EE and RE in the region.- Identify priorities by conducting a training needs assessment and conduct trainings on the local - level.Initiate awareness campaigns for EE.- Improve communication by holding conferences and fairs in order to encourage interaction - among various stakeholders for EE.Establishment of regional knowledge centre and best practices database (advice for - multidisciplinary aspects of EE).Start pilot projects and small grants.-

Expectations regarding NALAS activities related to the promotion of EE and RE:•XSupport the establishment of a committee for EE on the level of ZELS.- Collect and share data regarding best practices in the region in the area of EE.- Distribute information about possible EU programs and funds.- Help in preparation of joint applications between member organizations for EU funds.- Initiate pilot projects for members.- Organize trainings and awareness campaigns.- Make a comparative analysis of legislation in the areas of EE and RE in the region.- Collect and distribute information across disciplines in the sphere of EE.- Initiate conferences, fairs and forums encouraging interaction of all stakeholders.- Establish a database of all EE projects in municipalities across the region.-

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Association’s potential contributions to NALAS activities promoting EE and RE pplications:•XForm a committee for EE with representatives from municipalities.- Represent interests of the municipalities in the process for updating legislation regarding EE.- Identify municipal needs and problems, including training needs, on the local level.- Provide logistical support for trainings and awareness campaigns.- Collect data about national legislation and best practices in EE in Macedonia.- Identify needs for strategic plans in EE and to participate in the process of development of the plans.- Initiate cooperation among municipalities and other stakeholders.-

D.8 Congress of the Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM)

Author: Ion MUNTEAN

Strategic background of the association’s potential role in promoting EE and RE applications•XObjectives•X

Strengthen the CALM’s expertise and capacity to provide consultancy to its members in the field on EE and RE, but also contributing to raising awareness, and capacity development.

Strengths and opportunities•XStrengths:

Technical experts.- Collaborative members.- National coverage.-

Opportunities: Consumers’ demand for new technologies.- Support from EBRD and other donor agencies.- Favourable trends in government policies.- Low market competition.- Increasing prices on energy resources are creating additional - economic incentives for EE and RE measures.

Important Partners:•XNALAS.- Ministry of Economy of Moldova.- National Agency for Energy Regulation of the Republic of Moldova.- Technical University of Moldova.- Business Advisory Services Programme Moldova.-

Exemplary initiatives of member munici palities:•XProgramme for Co-financing EE Projects.- Technician in solar installations.- Increasing EE in Chisinau municipality.-


Technical expertise.- Collaborative members.-

National coverage.- Established channels of communication with local - stakeholders.

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XIt is very important to take into consideration the particularities of legislation, mentality of population and local specific conditions.

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D.8 Congress of the Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM)

Author: Ion MUNTEAN

Priority measures to improve the framework conditions for EE and RE at the national and local level:•XPromote policies of reducing losses of electricity consumption.- Creating a subdivision within the National Agency for Energy Regulation as the main authority in EE and RE.- To create a financing fund for EE and RE.- Maximum transparency in activity and collaboration.- Awareness raising campaigns.- Promoting the fiscal decentralization to endow LG with the necessary resources.-

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XInformational support, exchange of experience.- Successful models and awareness raising campaigns.- Collecting law from the region on EE and RE.- Trainings for CALM staff and members of committees.-

Potential contributions to the NALAS network in the fields of EE and RE.•XActive participation in NALAS activities.- When possible and necessary – provide expertise about Moldovan legislation, policies and trends in EE and - RE.

D.9 Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UOM)

Author: Igor GOLUBOVIC


Participate in developing the legal and institutional framework for EE measures (EE Act, a central - institution for EE, an EE fund, local and municipal EE- and RE-Strategies).Implement EE programs in the member municipalities according to the Montenegro Strategy for EE.- Promote investment in EE measures, and participate in or provide support to applications for funding from - IFIs or from state and local funds.Transfer of knowledge and best practice from the NALAS network to the member municipalities.- Stimulate member municipalities develop their own EE measures (e.g. establish local energy managers, - make strategic plans for reconstruction of public buildings according to EE best practices).

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EE Strategy of Montenegro was adopted by the Government in October 2005.- Members are 21 municipalities in Montenegro.- Communication of the UOM with ministries, local authorities, media, NGO sector, donors, market - actors and consumers is easy due to the small size of the country and thus facilitating intensive networking.The small number of municipalities makes the transfer of know-how as well as the management - and monitoring of EE/RE-programs at the level of LG easy.There is a small but well organized group among the local experts and university professors, with - sufficient knowledge on EE and RE which can easily be involved in activities of the UOM.Usable database on EE/RE providing access to information from different networks.- Experience in organizing seminars, training, and publication of brochures.- Experience in writing projects for applying for EU funds for EE/RE projects.-

Opportunities:•XGradually improving legal, regulatory and institutional framework for EE/RE as well as for the - emerging of a domestic market for EE/RE projects, services and equipment.EE/RE measures proofed to have significant impacts on energy economics as well as on the - environment.Local municipalities proofed to benefit from exploiting existing EE/RE potentials.- UOM is able to coordinate activities and programs and mobilize state and local government, NGO - sector and market forces, thus creating synergies between involved actors in order to better achieve common EE goals.UOM may establish statistics and information systems for EE/RE that can support the planning and - monitoring of EE/RE measures and represent a suitable means of reporting to other municipalities.Significant interest of international donors for funding EE programs (UOM writing projects and - track competitions).Integrated activities promoting EE standards and technologies in the residential buildings sector - can significantly improve the condition of existing buildings and allow for the construction of new buildings in an appropriate manner.Increasing electricity prices are supporting awareness raising campaigns, promoting e.g. the - importance of adequate thermal insulation and proper construction, thus creating additional market-driven demand for EE buildings (this is particularly important as the application of existing regulations is still poor) and increasing the importance of EE as a criterion for buying appliances and devices of all kind.UOM can provide examples of good practice and EE measures.- UOM can run programs for the promotion of specific technologies and applications (e.g. solar - heating systems for public buildings, public lighting monitoring consumption, photovoltaic cells on public buildings).UOM can organize specialized seminars for energy experts from the municipalities.- UOM can organize workshops on the development of SEAPs.-

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Important Partners:•XMinistry of Economic Affairs and the Unit for EE and RES of the Ministry of Economy.- Association of concession companies for RE.- The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) – Office in Montenegro.- Elektroprivreda Crne Gore – Montenegrin Electric Enterprise.- Office of Sustainable Development of the Government of Montenegro.- University of Montenegro - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica.- ETG Engineering Podgorica.- Green Home Podgorica (NGO).- Expeditio (NGO).-

Exemplary initiatives of local munici palities:•XStudy of EE of public lighting for the City of Pljevlia.- Energy review of school buildings with the proposal of measures to save energy.-


It is possible to form a working body, which will involve stakeholders from municipalities and UOM.- Organization of a website with search options for available information on legal and technical - aspects of EE/RE.Initiation of the adoption of the decision making of local strategic plans in the field of EE/RE.- Monitoring of the creation and implementation of municipal strategic plans of municipalities in EE.- Initiation of the establishment of a network of EE/RE stakeholders including the municipalities, - ministry, government agencies, equipment manufacturers and NGOs.Influencing, on behalf of municipalities, the changes of laws and regulations concerning EE/RE - issues.Organization of seminars, training, and brochures for the training of local officials from the - municipalities.Organization of public hearings in municipalities where could affect the raising of awareness of - citizens on EE/RE.


Organization of a working group of representatives of all member states in preparing strategies - NALAS EE/RE for the local community.Organization of the website with all available information on EE/RE as: successful projects, - strategies, best practices, case studies, legal provisions and rules.Realization of several pilot projects that were just copied from countries which have already - implemented this kind of projects.Promotion of the idea of energy audits for all municipal building in municipalities.- Lobbying for the establishment of the so-called energy funds at the state level for the realization - of projects in the field of EE/RE in local communities.Establishment of statistical and information database on public facilities in member NALAS.- Introduction of EE concepts and provisions in the Law on organization of space and building - facilities.Lobbying for reducing the tax (VAT) and import fees for modern thermal insulation materials and - equipment that promote EE/RE sector.

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Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XRealization of joint projects.- Organisation of trainings and conferences.- Collection and sharing data regarding best practices.- Coordination of international donors for EE or similar projects.- Development of project proposals for international donors.-

Potential contributions to NALAS activities in the fields of EE and RE:•XUOM to cooperate in the NALAS network.- UOM to coordinate among Montenegrin municipalities.- UOM can make organisation of trainings and conferences.- The unit for EE and RES of the Ministry of Economy can participate in development and - coordination in implementation of EE/RE strategies.The unit for EE and RES of the Ministry of Economy can offer skilled technical EE staff.- Association of concession companies for RE can coordinate among EE/RE producing companies in - Montenegro.Association of concession companies for RE offer big experience in RE (hydro power).- University of Montenegro - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica can offer a knowledge - base for EE and RE.University of Montenegro - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica can offer Experience in - project development.University of Montenegro - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica.- Various EE/RE NGOs have big experience in project proposal development and - project implementation and monitoring activities.

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D.10 Association of Romanian Communes (A.Co.R)

Author: Ovidiu DUMITRACHE

Strategic background of the association’s potential role in promoting EE and RE applications•Objectives:•

No special part of the strategy dedicated to EE and RE, but it is a permanent partner of national government in its initiatives.

Strengths and opportunities:•Strengths:

The association has more than 1700 members, which means more than half of local authorities - from Romania. Existing communication channels used by A.Co.R; the association is communicating in good - conditions with the members and very well with the ministries. Association members are part of different commissions and committees established at county, - regional and national level. This allows for a fast and direct information flow between the municipalities and with their association.A.Co.R is working via county branches. The 41 branches should become very useful to the national - staff in promoting and communication initiatives.Besides the county branches, the communes are gathered in the so-called “inter-community - development agencies/ associations” focused on local development initiatives. These could also become useful for promoting different EE and RE initiatives.The existence of different national initiatives implemented at the level of local authorities.-

Opportunities:The existence of more and more non-governmental organizations focused on environment and - EE and RE initiatives. Some of them are interested in collaborating with the associations of local authorities in order to promote their initiatives.One Operation Programme of the European structural instruments in Romania is dedicated to - increase EE. The value of this programme is around 800 million Euros.European Union pressurizes Romanian Government to elaborate laws on EE and RE and to launch - different initiatives in this field. Being a member of EU brings also the possibility to access a series of information regarding EE and - RE, case studies and best practices. It gives us also the possibility to exchange information with municipalities in other countries with good results.

Important Partners:•The line ministries and the National Authority for Energy Regulation, Department for EE.- Energy providers.- Local and county agencies for promoting EE and RE, NGOs, Regional Development Agencies.- Chambers of Commerce, Associations of employers, Professionals associations.- Donors, mass media.- The political stakeholders in the domain.- Private firms from the domain (which provide equipment).- Universities.-

Exemplary initiatives of member munici palities:•The case studies presented were chosen in order to serve a large range of possibilities: this is why one case is analyzing a small commune member of A.Co.R. (Bran) and other focuses on a larger municipality (Gheorghieni) ending with a national project that affects all municipalities being implemented by them. Of course there were many more projects to choose from, but I’ve chosen these three because they were different in almost every aspect but serve the same purpose that is EE.

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Conclusions and recommendations•XEE and RE are not yet a well debated topic on the political agenda (national or local) but can soon - become.There are initiatives in the area but they must be supported by developing partnerships.- Funding plays a major role.- NALAS can help A.Co.R. with knowledge and data bases of case studies.- Raising awareness at local level must be done soon.-

D.11 Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM)

Author: Miodrag GLUSCEVIC

Strategic background of the association’s potential role in promoting EE and RE applicationsObjectives: •X

Advocacy.- Providing services to member municipalities.-

Communication & information.- Capacity building of the secretariat.-

Strengths and opportunities:•XSCTM gathers all municipalities and has experience in the implementation of development projects, has strong relations to municipalities as well as to central governmental bodies and is member of several international organizations like ICLEI.

The legal framework in the field of EE and RE is fairly developed in Serbia and these issues are recognized by a number of strategic documents. Feed-in tariffs have been recently adopted which should contribute to utilization of RE. Knowledge base in Serbian institutions is substantial.

Important Partners: •XMinistry of Mining and Energy.- Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning.- Serbian EE Agency.- GTZ Project ”Strengthening of Local Self-- government”.

KfW Municipal Infrastructure Credit - Line Programme.Regional EE Centers.- Academic institutions.- Serbian Chamber of Commerce.-

Exemplary initiatives of local munici palities:•XApplication of the Heat Pump for Heating the Elementary School in Varvarin Municipality.- Reconstruction of public lighting – Public Monitoring of Energy Savings in Varvarin Municipality.- Reconstruction of street lighting in Dimitrovgrad.- Street Lightning Cadastre in Three Municipalities.-


All 167 local self-governments are members.- Number of projects implemented in partnership with donors and international partners.- Committee for EE as representative body of SCTM.- Strong cooperation with relevant institutions at national level.- Secretariat internal structure.- Membership in number of international organizations- .

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D.11 Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM)

Author: Miodrag GLUSCEVIC

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XMotivated local administration with support of other institution can implement complex projects.- Street lighting projects are easiest to tackle and should be used as ice breakers.- Base line assessments are necessary in order to find out saving potentials.-


Awareness raising campaigns targeting decision makers, local administration and general public.- Launching legal initiatives towards relevant ministries.- Introduction of energy management systems.- Developing of financial instruments for project realization.- Establishing the network of local energy managers.- Capacity building at the local level.-

Potential Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XSharing experience and good practice examples within region trough NALAS.- SCTM secretariat infrastructure could provide added value to NALAS activities.- Networking among local energy managers.-

Potential contributions to the NALAS network in the fields of EE and RE.•XSharing experience and good practice examples with member associations.- Knowledge base for member associations.- Conveying information to member association.- Joint campaigning.- Assessing concordance with EU regulations.-

D.12 Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia (SOS)

Author: Bostjan KRAJNC


Stimulate municipalities to take serious actions on EE/RE field.- Raise the awareness and stimulate the decision makers to increase EE and exploitation of RE in - public sector.Establishment of energetic management: supervision on energy supply and consumption.- Train, educate and transfer know-how and promote EE products & services from energy experts to - public sector.Reduce energy consumption, costs and CO2 emissions.- Disseminate and transfer the EE best practice over among all member municipalities.-

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Strengths and opportunities:

Strengths:Network of 166 municipalities.- High negotiable starting point with supplier of energy services.- All municipalities in Slovenia are obliged to develop a sustainable EE/RE strategy plan for the next - 5 years.

Opportunities:Foster the promotion of enterprises in the field of energy services.- Accelerating the competitiveness in the open market with electricity.- Encourage individual enterprise target groups.- Promote the links between the science and research spheres of SMEs with the economy in order - to achieve greater synergistic effects.Promotion of national and EU EE/RE financial instruments (Call for proposals, Co-financing - programs, etc).

Important Partners:•XLocal and regional energy agencies (if exist);- Local or regional SMEs operating with energy services and products;- EE/RE clusters and associations, such as: Photovoltaic Associations, District heating cluster, - Biomass Association, etc;Scientific and research institutes or educational organization, such as: Faculty of Energy - Technologies.

Exemplary initiatives of local munici palities:•XEnergy efficient reconstruction of public lighting in Municipality of Celje.- District cooling system in Municipality of Velenje.-


EE/RE projects have to be the top priority in every municipality/association. Climate change - mitigation efforts must involve the public sector as role model to other sectors: private sector and industry. Municipalities will have to develop long-term sustainable energy plans and stimulate EE/RE projects such as EE in public buildings, energy efficient street/public lighting, sustainable developed public transportation, exploiting RE such as: biomass, photovoltaic, biogas, etc. SOS Association’s strategic role is to develop communication and advisory tools between the energy service and products suppliers, on the one hand, and with energy consumers, on the other hand.For example: the Association could perform common public procurement at purchasing energy - services and products for member municipalities.

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:•XBy the end of the 90th Slovenia has started to prepare its frameworks to promote EE and - increasing the share of RE to produce electricity and heat. The first important document in this area was National Energy Program (NEP) and later the Resolution on the National Energy Program (ReNEP) adopted in 2004. In ReNEP laid the foundation for the EE of which is also priority task of Cohesion program ‘’Sustainable energy’’ and it is also s part of the Operational Program of Environmental and Transport Infrastructure Development 2007 – 2013 (OP ROPI). For this program are intended €160 million, which will be up to 85 % co-financed by the Cohesion Fund (in practice the co-financing share would be between 20 – 40 %).In early 2008, Slovenia adopted a National Action Plan for EE for the period 2008 to 2016 (AN - URE) and is the first of three action plans it has to be drawn up by Slovenia until 2014. AN URE is direct result of the conveyance of the European Directive (2006/32/EC) in the Slovenian legislative.

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Adopting short-, mid- and long-term sustainable energy plans on EE/RE.- Implementing of energy management in members municipalities.- Implementation of the monitoring of energy supply and use in public buildings.-

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XNALAS is a strong regional partner at submitting the EE/RE projects to be co-financed by several - EU programs.NALAS could perform strong dissemination activities of EE/RE measures.- NALAS TF EE group could participate at promotional conference/seminars organized by NALAS in - the SE Europe.NALAS create the list of strong and reliable SMEs providing energy services and products.-

Association’s potential contributions to NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XNational associations deliver to the NALAS best practice and shining examples on EE/RE.- National associations provide the list of energy agencies and SMEs.- National associations provide the local EE/RE experts to support NALAS disseminations activities.-

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D.13 Union of Municipalities of Marmara (UMM)

Author: Yildiz Münevver KOC


The main activity area of the Union covers the Marmara Region, which is Turkey’s most - industrialized region with its total population of more than 20 million inhabitants representing 60% of the country’s economy. Marmara Region is also one of the most favourable locations in Turkey for the utilization of RE.- In the context of Turkey’s accession process to the European Union, special attention has been given - to participate in and contribute to activities aiming at working towards harmonizing with the EU Acquis. Partnership is seen as one of the most effective ways to develop solutions to environmental issues. It is recognized that local authorities have a high responsibility to minimize their environmental footprint. From this perspective, the municipalities are the most important actors in the implementation and support of initiatives on EE and RE at the local level. They may play a major role in “sustainable energy management” in the Marmara Region. In this - regard, as an umbrella organization of municipalities, Union of Municipalities of Marmara may take the lead in facilitating exchange of information and spreading the best practices between municipalities.

UMM has a potential role in the promotion of EE and RE measures at the local level as follows: In the context of UMM’s multi-dimensional cooperation:- A potential to develop research projects on EE and RE in cooperation with universities and - institutes.A potential to develop projects on EE and RE to be funded by the European Union and/or other - international donors.A potential to share the best practices of NALAS member associations with the member - municipalities of UMM.


A variety of audits for EP.- Efficiency in coal tests for air control and use of advanced technology in air quality measurement.- Advanced and high technology laboratories for environmental analyses.- RE production by waste.- High technologies used for city lighting and urban environment.- Use of traffic signalization systems powered by RE.-

Opportunities:The Ministry of Environment and Forestry transfers some part of its authority to local governments - (municipalities).Good progress about legislation and sanctions on environmental management.- Tendency in the city to move from industry to service sector.- Improvement in the incentives offered by central government to investments for alternative energy - sources.As the increasing energy prices are putting an economic burden on the institutions, moving toward - more renewable sources and efficient use of energy seems to be an increasing trend.Alternative investments for environmentally friendly public transport.- EU provides financial supports to EE oriented environmental projects.- The opportunities to initiate joint projects with universities.-

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Important Partners:•XMinistry of Energy and Natural Resource (national level).- Ministry of Environment and Forestry (national level).- General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration (national - level).Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (local level).- UMM’s member municipalities in the Marmara region (local level).- IMM’s affiliated energy companies (local level).- NGOs active in the field of energy.-

Exemplary initiatives of local munici palities:•XMonitoring Gas Consumption for Thermo-Rehabilitation of Buildings.- Energy Management System.- EE in the Everyday Life.-


The strategic potential of UMM in promoting EE (EE) and RE (RE) at the local level is :Capacity; e.g., experts and experience in the fields of EE and RE,- Multi-dimensional cooperation:-

Development of research projects on EE and RE in cooperation with universities and institutes,Development of projects on EE and RE to be funded by the European Union and/or other international donors.Sharing best practices of NALAS member associations with the member municipalities of UMMDissemination of ideas, concepts and information on activities of NALAS member associations. Facilitation of the exchange of information on EE and RE thanks to its world-wide networkImprovement of the awareness of EE/RE among stakeholders and member municipalities utilizing NALAS TFEE outputs in combination with those generated by the E-Survey project and our other activities such as trainings.

Lessons learnt from previous initiatives of local municipalities:

In Marmara Region, the potential of EE and RE is high: - Currently many of the buildings are built between 1950 -1980 and they do not have sufficient insulation, energy losses in winter are very high. Consequently the potentials for the improvement of EE are very high. Marmara Region has large sources of RE as wind, solar and biomass but these sources are not sufficiently used by private and public sectors.

Despite the high potential of EE and RE of Marmara Region, public and professionals are not - provided with sufficient communication and information intended for changing the behaviour of people.For the development of people’s awareness of EE and RE, the municipalities must develop various - approaches for different social categories, e.g., environmental concerns may be emphasized for educated people while economic concerns may be considered for poor people. People and professionals need to be promoted and encouraged by the municipalities to adapt - themselves for use of EE and RE solutions.

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Development of real willingness and volunteerism about the implementation of EE and RE. - Definition of municipalities’ responsibilities and competences in the Turkish legislative framework - for energy (EE and RE laws and regulations).Allocation of budget for the development of a future strategy of municipalities to anticipate the - potential changes on energy production, transportation and consumption. The future strategy must be defined in consultation with stakeholders in the energy sector and different projects must be developed in the fields of EE and RE.

Recommended NALAS activities promoting EE and RE applications:•XGood practice on energy information campaign.- Good practice and experience on capacity development.- Development of the energy strategies.- Experience on harmonizing their legislation with EU directives.- Good practice and experience on sustainable urban development planning.- The measures on EE and RE applications for municipal buildings, public services, lighting and - transportation.The EE and RE measures for private households, e.g., information and communication methods.- The RE and EE measures for commerce & industry.- Good practices and experience on energy saving (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) for the - public buildings and the private households.The kind of methods used to raise awareness of EE and RE.- Good practice and experience on the establishing of energy agencies to inform people and - professionals.Good practice and experience on the application of energy saving incentives. -

Potential contributions to the NALAS network in the fields of EE and RE:•XThe UMM can support NALAS and the other member associations in developing their roles in the field of EE and RE:

Playing an active role in joint international awareness raising campaigns at the regional level (SEE).- Sharing experience and good practices with NALAS and its member associations. - Involving in a joint strategic plan at the level of SEE, to be prepared by NALAS member associations. - Providing legal suggestions to NALAS member associations. (Turkish legislation on EE and RE has - already been adopted in compliance with EU acquis).

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Supported by:

Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Techniche Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH Internet: www.gtz.de

Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) Internet: www.bmz.de

funded by

Open Regional Fund on Energy for South East Europe


CIP – Katalogizacija vo publikacija

Nacionalna i univerzitetska biblioteka “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”, Skopje

352: 620.9 (4-12)

ENERGY efficiency measures in South - East european municipalities and role of national

associations and NALAS : a study of NALAS task force energy efficiency in cooperation with NALAS

member associations and GTZ open regional fund energy. – Skopje : Network of Associations of

Local Authorities of South East Europe – NALAS, 2010. – 74 str. : 23 cm

ISBN 978-9989-2928-4-2

a) Lokalna samouprava – Politika na energetska efikasnost - Jugoisto~na Evropa

COBISS.MK-ID 83410442

Documents

ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES IN