The Energy Savers

Short presentation of

Who is KOMOSIE?

Who are the Energy Savers?▪ Background and context▪ Activities▪ Added values▪ Lessons learned

Outlook for further development Source: BND Kortrijk vzw

FLANDERS?

KOMOSIE Who we are

KOMOSIE = KOepel van MilieuOndernemers in de SocIale Economie

= ‘Federation of environmental enterprises in the social economy’

▪ Social Economy? = not-for-profit organisations employing low skilled long term unemployed people

Established in ‘94 in order to group, represent and support social economy enterprises that are related to environmental protection

Federation of: ▪ all reuse centres (31) in Flanders ▪ (nearly) all “Energy Savers”-companies (34)

Staff: 15 persons – 13,5 FTE

Short presentation of

Who is KOMOSIE?

Who are the Energy Savers?▪ Background and context▪ Activities▪ Added values▪ Lessons learned

Outlook for further developmentSource: BND Kortrijk vzw

The Energy Savers : How did it start? Academic study

(HIVA, 2006)“There is potential in developing social economy activities in the energy market”

Lot of green jobs! also for lower skilled or unemployed people?

“Let’s create in the social economy a new sector energy saving”

Drive for innovation within KOMOSIE

High potential for energy saving in Flanders

The Energy Savers : How did it start?

The minister of Social Economy launched the name “Energy Savers” (end 2006)

KOMOSIE was given the task to create this new sector in the social economy

The Energy Cutters

“Energy Savers” are lower educated & long-term unemployed people, trained to implement ‘energy saving interventions’.

▪ Lower educated and long-term unemployed:▫ Working within a social economy organization

‘The Energy Saving Enterprise’

▪ Trained and supported:▫ Within the own organisation▫ Training by KOMOSIE or external partners ((Quality!)

▪ Additional social goal: give priority to lower income households

A picture of our sector today

34 social economyenterprises

cooperation with260 municipalities (= 85%)

± 240 jobs(145 FTE “Energy Cutters”)

Facts and figures

Activities of the Energy Savers1. Energy checks in homes

▪ since 2007▪ 70% of municipalities choose to cooperate

with “Energy Cutters” (from 50% in 2008)▪ 21 400 in 2010

2. Small energy-saving activities▪ since 2008▪ ~25 small ‘e-saving’ interventions Can be independent activity,

but often local lack of financing

Source: BND Kortrijk vzw

Source: KOMOSIE vzw

Source: KOMOSIE vzw

Activities of the Energy Savers3. Roof insulation

▪ since 2008▪ 6-day training course▪ in cooperation with the building sector▪ > 1 200 roofs insulated in 2010▪ about 70 Energy Cutters

lots of subsidies, but “split incentives” and lack of prefinancing for the low-income people,

Source: KOMOSIE vzwSource: KOMOSIE vzw

1. The energy check

An energy check = free screening of the ‘energy situation’ of a house, during which the resident receives energy saving tips (= sensibilisation) and during which 4 energy saving materials are installed

▪ Spare bulb, water saving shower head, pipe insulation and/or insulation foil behind radiators

Sensibilisation and energy saving go hand in hand

1. The energy check: background & context

Public service obligations of the Distribution System Operators (DSO)

▪ Obligation to carry out 25.000 free energy checks per year (~1%)▪ Financing:

▫ DSO gets 200 € from Flemish government executor receives max. 180 €

▫ DSO supports the executor with software, training, material

▪ Important role for the municipalities▫ Choice of executor: own employees, DSO or a 3rd party e.g.

‘social economy’ (75%)▫ Collecting addresses from target groups for this energy check

This enabled the concrete start of the Energy Savers

1. The follow-up check – 2 types

After the energy check for homes without dubble glazing or roofinsulation, since 2010

Goal = lower thresholds towards having these works executed

Type 1: evaluation of the first (basic) energy check, comparison of commercial energy suppliers, inform about al sorts of energy subsidies and 5 additional energy saving interventions:

▪ switchable plugboards, aerate radiators, strips for window and doors, timers on electrical waterboiler, thermostatic radiatortaps

Type 2: support in the whole process of information and placing of roof insulation of glazing

▪ estimate (netto-)costs, measure and make a proposition for potential building companies, evaluate offers, help with application for subsidies

Added values

Our unique selling proposition: 1. approach tuned to the most vulnerable target group2. lowering the threshold

- we go into the homes- Energy Savers are ‘experts’ themselves (often from

vulnerable families), their empathy is real- Energy Savers have more attention for the human aspects

and take their time for each visit

3. quality in what we do

Added values

Social employment, energy saving, increasing of the housing quality and poverty reduction

Energy savers are an ideal instrument for a sustainable (local) policy

2009

The added value of a federation to support the network of Energy Savers

Research of new activities (innovation)Policy follow-up and representationPartnerships, external contacts (networking) Member support:

▪ Training and expertise-building ▪ Professionalization: business plan,

legal advice, registration …▪ Quality management▪ Sector-building: stimulating exchange

of experiences and cooperation▪ Communication: website, tools...

Lessons learnedOur strenghts

mulitple added values of the Energy Savers

ambition to develop the posibilities on a countrywide level

supported by an umbrella-organisation (KOMOSIE)

supported by (Flemish) government and policy

creating cooperation and bridges with othr actors

social entrepreneurship of the 34 individual SE-companies and their local and regional network

Lessons learnedOur weaknesses

dependance on government funding▪ customer readiness for payment for the energy check is low▪ highly dependent on the (new) policy priorities

re-employment of our employees in a traditional company▪ The job of “energy checker” barely exists in regular economy?▪ But: the Energy Saver acquires useful social and technical skills

reaching socially vulnerable people is a job on it own!▪ Trend towards making the scan available for everyone

▫ added values of social economy are less▪ Tip: think ahead about simple and effective ways to reach and

convince your target group

Short presentation of

Who is KOMOSIE?

Who are the Energy Savers?

Outlook for further development▪ Our ambition ▪ total scan towards housing quality▪ other larger energy-efficient works▪ European exchange via EC-LINC

Source: BND Kortrijk vzw

Our ambition

Every Flemish municipality and citizen should have the possibility to appeal to a

network of social economy enterprises for the execution of a wide range of energy saving measures!

Innovationfrom energy check towards the “total scan”?

Energy check is useful, but more is possible▪ extra attention to safety, watersaving, housing quality and

energy poverty▪ ~= integration of logical policy domains as energy, housing,

individual well-being

Few socially vulnerable people also effectivtely do the step towards energy measures or investments that improve their living/home

▪ develop a flexible service that take more into account the specific needs/situation of every person

Innovationfrom energy check towards the “total scan”?

KOMOSIE started the “Total scan project” ▪ ~= feasiabilty study▪ Federal funding, 1 year (end june 2011)▪ Research and development (training, quationaire …)▪ Pilotproject (100 visits)▪ Evaluation and policy recommandations

Breakthrough june 2011: ▪ Flemish government decides “symbolically” to uncouple the

energy check from the Public service obligations of the DSO towards an integrated energy and housing policy in future

Innovationfrom energy check to larger energy-efficiency works Energy scan is useful, but more is possible within social economy Execution of larger energy efficiency works

▪ Insulation of roofs▫ started in 2008 within the Energy Savers project

▪ Insulation of walls and floors (cellars) ?▪ more intense cooperation with the regular building companies

▫ cooperation on the field (subcontracting …) ▫ re-employment of our employees in a traditional building

company

innovation project started since november 2010▫ Project partners: the major buiding sector federations

Recruitment Immersion Social and

professional requalification

Preparation on leaving

InnovationEuropean exchange via EC-Linc project

Goals: ▪ Development and implementation of methodology for

replicable energy checks tailored for low-income households▫ via execution and evaluation of 1600 Energy Surveys

▪ (Re-)integration of long-term unemployed or low-skilled people in the regular job market

▪ Promotion of rational use of energy and energy efficiency

7 projectpartners from 5 countries:▪ BEA (Berlin, projectcoördinator), DiCV Berlin (Caritas) ▪ KOMOSIE, Changeworks (UK), Energia Klub (Hongarije), RUSZ

and E7 (Austria)

30 months, till november 2013

Questions?

More info:

www.energiesnoeiers.net www.komosie.be info@energiesnoeiers.net info@komosie.be

KOMOSIE vzw Uitbreidingsstraat 407B-2600 Berchem0032 3 281 03 30