Mag : the Intelligent Energy-Europe magazine. No 3, October 2011.
Date: 2011-10-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Energy, Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation
Subjects: EU programme, energy consumption, energy policy, innovation, serial publication, sustainable development

mag (cid:2)

I N T E L L I G E N T

E N E R G Y

E U R O P E

F O R   A   S U S T A I N A B L E   F U T U R E      

Renewable energy

 A new era

3

1
1
0
2

R
E
B
O
T
C
O

-

3
°
N

9

IN THEIR OWN WORDS
EU Directive triggers industry 
investment in renewables

10-11

MANAGER & MANAGED 
PV Legal

14-15

COUNTRY PROFILE
Plotting paths for renewables

EN_109244.pdf   1

20/09/11   14:47

 
 
 
B Y   M A R I E   D O N N E L LY
Director at DG Energy

“We’re making 
good progress 
and the goal  
is likely  
to be met.”

M A G A Z I N E 

O F   T H E   I N T E L L I G E N T   E N E R G Y- E U R O P E   P R O G R A M M E

N ° 3   -   O C T O B E R   2 0 1 1

EDITORIAL

Renewable energy is the focus for this issue of the Intelligent Energy – Europe 

magazine.

There are many renewable energy projects within the IEE programme, though the ones 

you can read about in this issue’s lead feature have been chosen because they have  

had a particularly high impact.

IEE project partners from across the European Union are together helping achieve 

the Union’s over-riding goal: to boost renewable energy’s share of the EU’s final gross 

energy consumption to at least 20% by 2020.

Happily we’re making good progress and the goal is likely to be met. 

If it is, I’m sure the IEE’s contribution will have been substantial. 

You’ll see in the lead feature how the foundation has been laid to enable renewable 

technologies to roll out across the EU. Offshore energy and biomass are examined  

in some detail.

Elsewhere, in the regular ‘manager and managed’ section, there are interviews with 

those responsible for the PV Legal project. Photovoltaic energy has enormous potential 

but is being held back in certain countries by unnecessary bureaucracy. The PV Legal 

team has compiled a comprehensive database on the remaining administrative 

obstacles. How much bureaucracy is required for a rooftop installation in your country?

The country profile section in this issue puts the spotlight on solar, biomass and 

hydropower in Germany and Poland.

There is also a special focus on energy services companies and related energy 

performance contracts – solutions for financing energy efficiency and renewable 

energy in both the public and private sectors.

Enjoy the issue!

  PAGE 2 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

Marie Donnelly, Director for new and renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency 

& innovation, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy

EN_109244.pdf   2

20/09/11   14:47

e c . e u r o p a . e u / i n t e l l i g e n t e n e r g y

THE INTELLIGENT 
ENERGY-EUROPE
MAGAZINE

mag3

I S S U E   N U M B E R

Table of contents

Editorial 

Lead feature  
Renewable energy, a new era

On the ground  
Rethinking renewable energy

In their own words 
EU Directive triggers industry investment  
in renewables

Manager & Managed 
PV Legal

Focus on 
Get others to do the hard work

Country profile 
Plotting paths for renewables

On the ground 
Training makes the difference

On the ground 
European energy inspiration

On the ground 
The energy of the sun powers our world

 2

 4-7

 8

 9

10-11

 12-13

14-15

 16

 17

 18

12

8

4

10

mag (cid:2)

I N T E L L I G E N T

E N E R G Y

E U R O P E

F O R   A   S U S T A I N A B L E   F U T U R E      

Renewable energy

 A new era

3

1
1
0
2

R
E
B
O
T
C
O

-

3
°
N

Photos: 

P. 5: © iStockphoto/Teun van den Dries. P. 6: © iStockphoto/Roberto Gennaro. P. 8: © juwi Holding AG; © Fiona Ball; © juwi Holding AG.  
P. 10: © iStockphoto/Pedro Castellano. P. 11: © iStockphoto/Fabio Ficola. P. 12: © Berlin Energy Agency. P. 13: © iStockphoto/
seewhatmitchsee. P. 14: © Piotr Kubiesa and Włodzimierz Łukasik. P. 14-15: © Energietag Baden-Württemberg, Ingo Bartussek, 
guukaa. P. 16: © Shell; © Shell; © Petras Ruzgus. P. 17: © Toyota Motor Europe; © Claudia Julius. P. 18: © SaaS; © Torresol Energy;  
© sostenible.cat.

The responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors; it does not necessarily reflect the opinion  
of the European Union. The EACI is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.  
The information contained is given for information purposes only and does not legally bind any of the parties involved.

9

IN THEIR OWN WORDS
EU Directive triggers industry 
investment in renewables

10-11

MANAGER & MANAGED 
PV Legal

14-15

COUNTRY PROFILE
Plotting paths for renewables

Editors: Andrea Pascal and Cindy Carolle, EACI

© European Union, 2011

More details on the IEE programme can be found at ec.europa.eu/intelligentenergy

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 3

EN_109244.pdf   3

20/09/11   14:47

 
 
 
 
 
R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

LEAD FEATURE

Renewable energy 
A new era

The Intelligent Energy –Europe programme aims to help the European Union  
meet  its  2020  renewable  energy  target  with  projects  that  remove  barriers,  
improve market transparency and mobilise investment.

When  it  comes  to  climate  change,  targets 
usually grab the headlines.

How  ambitious  should  our  carbon  dioxide 
reduction  targets  be?  Should  targets  be 
voluntary or mandatory?

What  you  seldom  see  in  the  mainstream 
press  is  coverage  of  exactly  how  these 
targets  are  met.  How  does  the  European 
Union turn these fine words into action?

The target set out in the Renewable Energy 
Directive  of  2009  –  that  renewable  energy 
should  make  up  at  least  20%  of  the  EU’s 
final  gross  energy  consumption  by  2020  –  
is a case in point.

If Europe meets this target – an increasingly 
likely  eventuality  –  it  will  be  thanks  to  a 
flurry  of  activity  in  the  EU  institutions  and 
in  the  Member  States,  almost  all  of  which  
is out of the public eye.

The Intelligent Energy – Europe Programme 
helps  bridge  the  gap  between  the  target  
and the reality on the ground.

IEE projects are bringing together key market 
players like governments, local authorities, 
SMEs  and  industry  with  the  grand  aim  of 
accelerating  the  growth  of  the  RES  market 
in Europe, an increasingly significant market  
in terms of investment and jobs created. 

IEE  projects  are  designed  to  give  momentum 
to  the  Renewable  Energy  Directive:  Member 
States  had  to  come  up  with  a  National 
Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) by the 

end of June 2010: now they have to implement 

Intelligent  Energy  –  Europe  targets  all  lay-

these  action  plans.  IEE  projects  help  them 

ers  of  government  and  society.  Through 

while at the same time improving the efficiency 

Concerted  Actions,  like  CA-RES,  respon-

of markets and mobilising investments.

sible  authorities  in  Member  States  work 

The Intelligent 
Energy – Europe 
Programme helps 
bridge the gap 
between the target 
and the reality  
on the ground.

For  example,  REPAP2020  connects  European 

Parliamentary  policy-makers  and  industry 

with  the  aim  to  facilitate  the  implementation  

of  the  Renewable  Energy  Directive.  Initially, 

the project supported the relevant authorities 

together  to  find  the  most  effective  ways  to 

implement EU Directives. “Together with the 

Commission, participants from 30 countries 

meet informally twice per year to exchange 

best practices and to find common solutions 

for  implementing  the  Renewable  Energy 

Directive,”  says  EACI  project  officer  María 

Laguna. 

On  a  local  level,  another  IEE  project,  Polis, 

aims  to  boost  solar  energy  in  six  cities 

(Paris,  Lisbon,  Munich,  Vitoria,  Lyon  and 

Malmo)  by  bringing  together  architects, 

urban planners and energy policy-makers.

“Sometimes  these  professions  have  dif-

ferent  priorities,”  says  María  (who  is  also 

the  project  officer  for  Polis).  “They  need  to 

integrate  solar  criteria  into  city  plans,  and 

into tender procedures for city rehabilitation 

projects. Energy needs to be included at the 

beginning of the planning stage.”

by  offering  good  advice  on  the  development  

“We  are  not  just  talking  about  active  solar 

of the NREAPs; more recently, an independent 

potential,  but  also  about  passive  solar 

and  detailed  assessment  of  these  action 

potential,”  adds  project  coordinator  Sigrid 

plans  has  been  carried  out  by  the  project 

Linder. South-facing buildings generate less 

team: “Positive outlooks but more is needed 

heating demand in winter, while heat gains 

on  support  schemes.  It’s  important  that  the 

can  be  reduced  in  summer  with  proper 

plans  are  followed  by  actions  from  today 

shading  devices.  While  to  decree  that  all 

onwards”,  are  the  main  conclusions  of  this 

buildings  must  have  south-facing  windows 

study,  says  Jan  Geiss,  EUFORES  Secretary 

would  be  impractical,  town  planners  are 

General.

being urged to keep the concept in mind.

  PAGE 4 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

EN_109244.pdf   4

20/09/11   14:47

 
R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

Building offshore Grids in the Northern Seas of Europe – 
what should the grid look like?

“The cable length between the wind farm and the shore 
has a huge impact on cost,” says Jan De Decker, project 
coordinator for the IEE project Offshore Grid.

there  is  wind.  “Attaching  wind  farms  to  interconnectors 
can  be  beneficial,  though  this  is  not  always  the  case,” 
says Jan. “It depends strongly on the capacities, the cable 
lengths, and the price differences between the countries. 
The  trade-off  between  reduced  cable  costs  and  reduced 
trade needs to be examined on a case-by-case basis.”

The  Offshore  Grid  project  examined  the  various  options 
for connecting offshore wind farms to the electricity grid. 
Project  partners  looked  at  the  technical  and  economical 
challenges, the policy aspects and the required regulation. 

The  result  is  a  set  of  recommendations  considered  so 
thoroughly  researched  that  the  European  Commission 
has adopted them. “Governments should favour hubs [of 
wind farms], and hubs should be developed at the same 
time,” says Jan. Large zones of wind farms are preferable 
to numerous smaller zones. 

The  project  examined  the  relative  merits  of  connecting 
wind farms to interconnectors, the power lines that ensure 
security  of  supply  between  countries  and  allow  them 
to  trade.  While  this  can  lead  to  cable  length  savings,  it 
restrains trading capacity between national markets when 

EACI project officer Dana Dutianu is very complimentary. 
“Offshore Grid was a huge effort,” she says, that provided 
important input to the preparation of the Communication 
on  Energy 
infrastructure  priorities.  This  document 
includes  several  references  to  possible  offshore  grid 
concepts  for  the  North  Seas  and  the  Baltic  Sea,  which 
were developed by the OffshoreGrid project.

FOR MORE INFO 

Communication “Energy infrastructure priorities  
for 2020 and beyond - A Blueprint for an integrated  
European energy network” 
ec.europa.eu/energy/infrastructure/strategy/2020_
en.htm
www.offshoregrid.eu/

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 5 

EN_109244.pdf   5

20/09/11   14:47

 
R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

Biomass – particularly wood pellets for power production –  
has become a globally tradable commodity. Pellet consumption  
in Europe is around 9 million tons per annum, of which about 
2 million tons is imported from outside Europe. 

But  developing  a  market  for  biomass  fuels  is  not 
straightforward.  Investors  need  to  understand  what 
drives  supply  and  demand.  They  need  re-assuring  that  
the  commodity  is  up  to  standard;  differences  in  quality 
would stifle trade.

The EUBIONET III project is increasing pricing transparency 
and  supporting  the  development  of  standards  for  solid 
biofuels.

“When  you  know  how  and  why  prices  fluctuate,  you 
understand  better  the  market.  People  are  then  more 
likely to enter,” says EACI project officer Silvia Vivarelli.

properties,  especially  moisture  content,  so  that  fuels  
can be properly transported, stored and used.

“The  role  of  biomass  has  always  been  important  but 
now  there  is  more  international  trade,”  says  project 
coordinator Eija Alakangas, who has 28 years of experience 
in the sector. Pricing indexes for industrial wood pellets  
in the Baltic region are now published monthly, Eija points 
out.  EUBIONET  III  project  partners  have  worked  with  
the  International  Organization  for  Standardization  to 
ensure  that  biomass  fuels  can  be  traded  on  a  reliable 
basis worldwide.

For the future, Eija is concentrating on new biomass fuels. 
“In Finland, we are using ethanol from bakery residues,” 
she says. Finland is however ahead of the game compared 
to the rest of the world.

Project partners are helping to define the characteristics 
of  solid  biofuels,  the  required  physical  and  chemical 

FOR MORE INFO
www.eubionet.net

  PAGE 6 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

EN_109244.pdf   6

20/09/11   14:47

R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

Sustainable public procurement

the  private  sector  to  support  investment  in 

structural  and  cohesion  funds  on  the  one 

Implementing  effective  obligations  concern-

ing minimum levels of energy from renewa-

bles  in  building  regulations  and  codes  for 

new or refurbished buildings or in the public  

procurement (for example, for social housing)  

is  a  highly  technical  exercise.  Local  au-

thorities  across  the  EU  need  to  train  staff 

to  ensure  this  takes  place  with  the  mini-

mum amount of procedures. An IEE project,  

Patres,  has  provided  authorities  with  the 

necessary training.

“The situation varies from country to country,” 

explains  project  coordinator  Fabio  Tomasi. 

“Local  authorities  can  have  a  higher  or  a 

lower  level  of  freedom.  We  want  to  simplify 

procedures  so  that  it  doesn’t  take  months 

of  bureaucracy  to  get  permission  to  install 

a  geothermal  heat  pump  or  a  solar  panel. 

We  are  working  on  the  details,  and  as  you 

know, the devil is in the detail.” Defining the 

optimum level of penalty to deter architects 

from  deviating  from  their  original  design  is 

just one example of this delicate process.

“We are not just 
talking about  
active solar 
potential,  
but also about 
passive solar 
potential.”

“We  were  taught  that,  when  making  local 

regulations  to  promote  renewable  energy 

and energy efficiency, we should not specify 

the  type  of  technology  we  prefer,”  says 

Francesca  Ravaioli,  energy  manager  with  

the  Forlì  town  council  in  Italy.  “We  should 

instead focus on the performance.” Francesca,  

who  has  attended  three  Patres  training 

small and medium-scale photovoltaic plants. 

hand  and  people  from  the  energy  sector  

Project  partners  are  targeting  so-called 

on  the  other,”  says  project  coordinator 

‘marginal’  land:  landfill  sites,  brown-field 

Carmen  Heinze.  The  project 

team 

is 

sites,  former  quarries,  buffer  zones  (near 

organising  a  series  of  study  tours  that 

airports  for  example)  and  former  military 

provide  experts  from  one  Member  State 

complexes, all areas with low or no economic 

with the chance to visit another, picking up 

value.

“We are working  
on the details,  
and as you know, 
the devil is in  
the detail.”

valuable  tips  on  renewable  energy  project 

applications  as  they  go.  “In  some  Member 

States,  the  procedures  can  be  lengthy  and 

bureaucratic,  which  puts  some  applicants 

off,”  says  Carmen.  “We  want  to  make  the 

funds easier to access.”

Installers need to be certified

Consumers  of  renewable  energy  are  a 

natural  target  for  the  IEE  programme.  The 

Qualicert  project  covers  the  certification 

of  installers  of  small  scale  photovoltaic, 

solar  thermal,  geothermal,  heat  pump  and 

biomass systems.

“End  users  need  to  be  able  to  choose 

qualified  installers,  who  will  deliver  high 

“Municipalities  own  various  marginal  areas  

quality 

installations,”  says  EACI  project 

and  they  are  at  the  same  time  having  dif-

officer  Gianluca  Tondi.  ‘This  is  important 

ficulties  finding  financial  resources  at  the  

because  the  quality  of  installation  affects 

moment,”  says  project  coordinator  Erica 

the  efficiency  of  the  system.  Negative 

Holland. 

PVs  in  Bloom  mobilized  investment  of  ap-

publicity  generated  by  a  poor  installation 

can take years to overcome.”

proximately  Euro  37  million  with  just  Euro  

“EU legislation states that by the end of 2012 

1 million of public support. 

installers of small scale renewable systems 

Funding is available

Amid  all  the  talk  of  cash-strapped  govern-

ments, it should be noted that funding for re-

newable energy is still available. In fact, the 

energy budgets of the EU’s regional and co-

hesion funds have not been fully used so far.

“Regional 

funds  can 

invest 

in  energy 

efficiency  and  renewables  but  there  is  still 

a gap between the theory and the practice,” 

says Damien Cocard, EACI project officer for 

SF Energy Invest. “Managing authorities and 

project  developers  should  take  advantage 

of  the  extended  opportunities  within  the 

Structural  funds  to  finance  and  develop 

energy projects.”

should be certified by national authorities or 

have equivalent qualifications,” says project 

coordinator  Marjolaine  Pont.  “This  will 

make the market more transparent, and  will 

increase the overall quality of installations.”

FOR MORE INFO

REPAP2020 

www.repap2020.eu

CA-RES 

www.ca-res.eu

Polis 

www.polis-solar.eu

Patres 

www.patres.net

PVs in Bloom 

www.pvsinbloom.eu

SF Energy Invest

www.sf-energyinvest.eu

Qualicert 

www.qualicert-project.eu

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 7 

sessions  this  year,  has  incorporated  her 

SF  Energy  Invest  targets  both  managing  

newly acquired knowledge into a renewable 

authorities and fund managers. Matchmak-

energy tender for a local school.

ing  events  are  held  to  help  bridge  the  gap 

Municipalities  have  been  actively  engaged  in 

between the applicant and the authority.

another IEE project, PVs in Bloom, which aims 

“It’s  about  networking,  about  bringing 

to  bring  together  public  administrations  and 

together  the  people 

involved  with  the 

EN_109244.pdf   7

20/09/11   14:47

 
 
R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

ON THE GROUND

Rethinking  
renewable energy
Two  Sustainable  Energy  Europe  Campaign  projects 
make efficient energy approaches even more efficient.

Innovative design  
for energy performance 

day  incorporate  other  sustainable  energy 
solutions, such as hydrogen fuel cells.”

“The repowering of just 
one of the five wind 
turbines in November 
2010 is resulting  
in an annual yield  
which is much higher 
than before.” 

of  just  one  of  the  five  wind  turbines  in 
November  2010  is  resulting  in  an  annual 
yield  which  is  much  higher  than  before,” 
says Christian

is  especially  beneficial 

Repowering 
for 
countries that have invested in wind energy 
early on and are now seeking to expand their 
wind energy production.

In  Isleworth,  just  outside  of  London,  a 
broadcasting  centre  like  no  other  is  being 
born.  A  few  exterior  details,  such  as  the 
giant  natural  ventilation  chimneys,  hint 
at  the  building’s  unique  energy  efficient 
approach.  Sky  Broadcast’s  design  choices 
and  architecture  have  made  the  building 
Europe’s  most  sustainable  broadcasting 
studio and data-centre.

Sky will use the multi-storey building called 
‘Harlequin  1’  as  its  centre  of  operations, 
housing the television company’s recording, 
post-production and transmission facilities. 
Harlequin  1  will  be  fully  complete  in  late 
2011,  but  a  large  part  of  the  building  is 
already in use.

Every  detail,  from  ventilation  options  to 
water consumption in toilets was considered 
when  construction  plans  were  developed. 
“Renewable  energy  is  at  the  heart  of  the 
building,”  says  Fiona  Ball,  Sky’s  head  of 
environment. 

“To  reduce  carbon  emissions,  we  will  use 
biomass to fuel a combined cooling, heating 
and  power  plant.  In  addition,  the  energy 
from  a  wind  turbine  will  deliver  55-60% 
of  the  annual  office  lighting  requirements 
of  Harlequin  1.  And  we  have  even  built 
flexibility  into  the  infrastructure  to  one 

  PAGE 8 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

Fiona Ball
www.sky.com/environment
ntt

Capturing the wind

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

Christian Hinsch
////es/es/
www.juwi.com/wind_energy/references/
schneebergerhof.html

gyy/////re/refffferferencenc

“Repowering means placing more powerful 
wind  turbines  in  the  best  wind  locations,” 
explains  Christian  Hinsch,  juwi’s  Director 
of  Corporate  Communications.  “With  our 
approach  we  are  producing  significantly 
more  clean  energy  using  fewer  systems 
than before.”

“With  a  sensible  programme,  we  can 
reduce  the  number  of  wind  turbines  and 
still  generate  much  more  power  than  is 
currently produced.” Some of the best sites 
are  already  occupied  by  smaller  machines 
nearing  the  end  of  their  life.  These  can  be 
replaced  by  a  smaller  number  of  bigger 
machines.

in  Schneebergerhof 

A  project 
the 
Rhineland-Palatinate  region  of  Germany 
proves  Christian’s  point.  “The  repowering 

in 

EN_109244.pdf   8

20/09/11   14:47

 
 
“The PPC group is 
planning to invest  
€ 2 bn in RES  
projects within  
the next four years.”

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

PROF. ARTHOUROS ZERVOS
Chief executive of Greece’s  
Public Power Corporation

EU Directive triggers industry 
investment in renewables
The IEE magazine talks to Prof. Arthouros Zervos, 
chief executive of Greece’s Public Power Corpora-
tion.

Progress towards greater use  
of renewable energy varies from 
country to country within the EU. 
Why is this? How in your opinion 
could countries be encouraged  
to catch up? 

Progress  on  the  use  of  RES  varies  from 

country  to  country  for  many  reasons.  The 

maturity  of  each  technology  could  be  one 

for  peak-load.  Synergies  can  therefore 

be  achieved  while  integrating  a  mix  of 

technologies on the electricity grid.

When  assessing  RES  you  must  first 

understand  the  conditions  under  which 

investment  is  taking  place.  An  investor 

could  be  happy  with  a  wind  farm  with  a 

high  load  factor  or  a  photovoltaic  park 

with  high 

irradiation  or  geothermal 

reason,  as  well  as  the  different  economic 

power in a region with high enthalpy. 

What impact has the EU 
Renewable Energy Directive  
had on industry?

The  2010-2020  decade  started  out  with  a 

groundbreaking  proposal  for  the  industry: 

legally  binding  targets  to  reach  at  least 

20%  renewable  energy  by  2020  in  the  EU. 

The  Directive  provides  a  strong  and  stable 

regulatory  framework,  which  is  absolutely 

key  to  the  development  of  the  renewable 

energy industry in Europe.

Member States’ National Renewable Energy 

Action  Plans  show 

that 

the  approach 

continues to pay off and that total renewable 

energy  consumption  will  more  than  double 

in 2020.

situations  and  most 

important  RES 

availability.  The  Greek  RES  market  faced 

three  main  obstacles:  the  complicated 

legal  framework,  public  acceptance  and 

grid  inadequacy.  The  new  legal  framework 

along  with  the  creation  of  a  one-stop  shop 

for  investors  has  significantly  accelerated 

the  licensing  procedures.  However,  much 

As far as Greece is concerned, the Directive 

more  needs  to  be  done  regarding  public 

will  boost  Greek  investments,  and  there 

acceptance  and  upgrading  the  grid,  for 

are  a  number  of  investors  who  realise  that 

renewable energy sources (RES) will play a 

key  role  in  the  country’s  attempt  to  return 

to  growth.  Public  Power  Corporation  (PPC) 

is  investing  to  increase  RES  in  the  group’s 

electricity  production  mix.  The  PPC  group 

is planning to invest € 2 bn in RES projects 

within  the  next  four  years  and  is  currently 

developing  some  large  scale  projects  like 

instance  explaining  to  local  communities 

that  boosting  investments  in  green  energy 

is  one  of  the  best  ways  to  reshape  our 

economy.

Which type of renewable energy 
do you regard as potentially the 
most profitable for the electricity 
industry? And why is that?

Is there anything that programmes 
such as IEE could do to make 
your life as a chief executive  
of a major utility easier?

IEE  already  plays  a  crucial  role 

in 

dismantling 

institutional, 

financial, 

behavioural  and  informational  barriers 

which  slow  down  RES  uptake.  In  my 

personal  view, 

the 

IEE  programme 

directly  contributes  to  the  achievement 

of  the  RES  2020  target  by  enabling  the 

sharing  of  best  practices  (e.g.  through 

the  Qualicert  Project  on  certification 

of  RES  installers),  by  addressing  non-

technological  barriers  or 

facilitating 

policy  implementation  (e.g.  through  the 

Concerted  Action  on  the  RES  Directive), 

and  by  raising  awareness.  It  is  of  key 

the  200  MW  photovoltaic  plant  in  Western 

A  mix  of  renewable  energy  technologies 

importance  that  the  IEE  grows  with  the 

Macedonia, and the 1,339 MW wind farms in 

is  interesting:  some  provide  a  back-up  to 

renewable  energy  industry,  in  order  to 

Crete, Karpathos, Kassos and Rhodes.

the  electricity  grid  where  others  provide 

pursue its very useful mission.

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 9

EN_109244.pdf   9

20/09/11   14:47

 
R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

“They have involved  
the right people; industry 
is doing it for industry.”

MANAGER & MANAGED

Eliminating photovoltaic  
energy bureaucracy
The PV Legal project has built up comprehensive data 
on the administrative barriers that hold back market 
growth.

the  growth  of  the  entire  PV  market,  from  
small rooftop installations to ground-mount-
ed  large-scale  plants.  In  a  number  of  coun-
tries, bureaucracy has already been cut back.

The  project  has  highlighted  the  divergent 

situation in different Member States. “In some  

countries it can take over 3 years to get a PV 

permit,” Zoé says.

The database identified  
the problems

To  achieve  this,  the  time  and  cost  of  the 
various legal requirements (such as permits) 
for different PV installations in 12 European 
countries  have  been  fed  into  the  PV  Legal 
database.  “With  the  data  we  can  see  why 
development  is  faster  in  some  countries 
than  in  others.  Thanks  to  the  database,  we 
know where the problems are,” says Zoé.

The fact that the PV Legal partners are indus-
try  associations  has  also  contributed  to  the 
project’s success. “They have involved the right 
people;  industry  is  doing  it  for  industry,”  Zoé 
continues. “If you are a developer you can use 
the database to decide where to invest. If you 
don’t like the barriers that exist in one country 
you can push for change or go elsewhere.”

Cooperation  between  the  project  partners, 

the coordinator and EACI is reported to have 

been strong.

“The  consortium  of  PV  Legal  -  through  the 

coordinator  -  kept  the  EACI  continuously 

informed  on  project  findings  and  success 

stories. On the other hand, when one of the 

partners  encountered  problems  during  the 

course  of  the  project  we  worked  together 

with the consortium to find a solution so the 

project  could  ensure  the  foreseen  impact,” 

remarks  Gianluca  Tondi,  who  was  formerly 

in charge of PV Legal at the EACI. 

It will be important to keep up the momentum 

after the project ends in 2012, says Gianluca. 

“The  PV  Legal  database  will  continue  in 

some form. It doesn’t make sense to collect 

all this data and not keep it updated.”

Zoé Wildiers,  
EACI project officer, PV Legal.

PV Legal is a key project within the Intelligent 
Energy  -  Europe  programme,  its  final  ob-
jective  being  the  removal  of  administrative 
barriers to the installations of RES systems 
(in  this  case  PV),  one  central  topic  of  the  
Renewable Energy Directive. Its contribution 
to removing the administrative barriers that 
hold back greater use of photovoltaic energy 
is  already  evident,  and  the  project’s  impact 
is  expected  to  outlive  the  32  months  of  EU 
funding that has supported it until now.

“According  to  Article  13  of  the  Renewable 
Energy  Directive,  Member  States  have  to 
remove  administrative  barriers,”  says  Zoé 
Wildiers,  the  EACI  project  officer  in  charge 
of PV Legal. “This is also just what PV Legal 
is aiming to do.”

Project partners have not only identified exist-
ing hurdles, they are also drawing up concrete 
policy  recommendations  that  will  facilitate  

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

  PAGE 10 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

Legal-administrative costs as a share of overall project development costs  
(excluding PV equipment)

Segment A

Segment B

Segment C

BG

CS

FR

DE

GR

IT

NL

PL

PT

SL

SP

EN_109244.pdf   10

20/09/11   14:47

“Germany already has 
15 years of experience 
of connections, 
support programmes 
and administrative 
procedures.”

R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

MANAGER & MANAGED

When barriers go down,  
installations go up
Evidence  suggests  there  is  a  direct  link  between 
administrative hurdles and market growth.

operators  are  legally  obliged  to  accept  any 

installation  in  Spain  are  around  39%  of 

PV connection request.

the  total  –  but  progress  is  nevertheless 

Administrative costs  
can exceed 70%

Then  compare  this  situation  with  Poland, 

where  the  PV  market  is  not  as  developed 

and  where  the  administrative  costs  of 

setting  up  a  medium-size  demonstration 

PV  installation  are  in  excess  of  70%  of  the 

planning costs (i.e. excluding hardware).

While  growth  can  sometimes  be  achieved 

despite bureaucracy, bureaucratic headaches  

are always a brake on any market potential. 

“In  Italy  and  Spain  there  has  been  quite 

significant  market  growth  but  legal  and 

administrative  barriers  are  preventing 

cheaper  PV  systems  from  coming  online,” 

says Thomas.

concrete.

Diversity  between  national  markets  remains:  

in  Germany,  most  PV 

installations  are 

rooftop,  whereas  in  Italy  and  the  Czech 

Republic  ground-mounted  large-scale  PVs 

have taken off to a greater extent. PV Legal 

policy  recommendations  have  been  tailor-

made  to  reflect  this  diversity  and  to  boost 

market segments in all countries. 

Among  the  only  administrative  hurdles 

project  partners  had  to  overcome  among 

themselves  was  establishing  a  common 

position  on  the  methodology 

for  their 

analysis.  “It’s  not  that  easy  when  you  have 

a  large  project  consortium,”  says  Thomas.  

“It  ended  up  taking  much  more  time  than  

we thought. We realised we had to go into a 

lot  of  detail.  Eventually,  however,  the  effort 

The database the PV Legal team has compiled  

was worth it and now we are able to provide 

will 

itself  help  reduce  these  barriers. 

good data for the participating countries.”

The  data  has  also  been  used  to  compile 

recommendations  that  have  in  some  cases 

already led to changes in the law.

Despite these challenges and the remaining 

barriers,  the  overall  picture  across  Europe 

remains positive: growth in installed capacity  

As  an  example,  Thomas  points  to  Spain, 

doubled in 2010.

where  the  obligation  to  obtain  a  permit  for 

a  rooftop  PV  installation  of  up  to  100  kW 

F O R   M O R E   I N F O 

for  connection  to  a  low-voltage  grid  was 

w w w. p v l e g a l . e u

removed  by  royal  decree  in  April  2010. 

Spain  still  has  more  work  to  do  –  the  legal 

and  administrative  costs  of  a  rooftop  PV 

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 11

Thomas Chrometzka,  
project coordinator PV Legal.

Is it a coincidence that the size of the pho-
tovoltaic  (PV)  market  in  individual  Member 
States seems to be inversely proportional to 
the bureaucracy required for installations?

PV  Legal  project  coordinator  Thomas 
Chrometzka  does  not  want  to  jump  to 
conclusions  before  the  project  has  run  its 
course,  but  he  admits  the  evidence  points  
in this direction.

Just  look  at  one  of  the  European  Union’s 
most  developed  markets  –  Germany  – 
where  the  legal  and  administrative  costs 
of  PV  installations  of  all  sizes  are  below 
10%.  “In  the  more  mature  markets,  grid 
operators  and  authorities  are  more  aware. 
Germany already has 15 years of experience 
of  connections,  support  programmes  and 
administrative  procedures,”  says  Thomas. 
German  regulation  and  permit  procedures 
are  so  advanced  that  in  most  cases  grid 

EN_109244.pdf   11

20/09/11   14:47

 
FOCUS ON

Sometimes high upfront 
investment costs and 
insufficiently short 
payback periods deter 
potential investors.

Get others to do  
the hard work
Market  barriers  to  energy  services  companies  and  
energy  performance  contracts  must  be  removed  if 
these useful tools are to reach their full potential.

Winners of the European Energy  
Service Award 2009.

long  been  a 
Sustainable  energy  has 
European goal, but sometimes high upfront 
investment  costs  and  insufficiently  short 
payback  periods  deter  potential  investors. 
One  solution  is  to  use  energy  services 
companies  (ESCOs)  or  energy  performance 
contracts  (EPCs),  market-based  solutions 
that  can  be  harnessed  to  promote  energy 
efficiency  and  renewable  energy  sources  
in both the public and private sectors. 

Energy  services  are  broadly  defined  as  any 
type  of  project  or  measure  that  leads  to  a 
verifiable  and  measurable  or  estimable 
energy  efficiency 
improvement  and/or 
primary  energy  savings.  But  they  must  be 
delivered on the basis of a contract, ensuring 
that suppliers and customers have confidence 
these services will deliver what they propose. 

The  EU  has  an  estimated  700  to  1  000 
active  ESCOs,  turning  over  as  much  as 
€8.5  billion  annually.  They  deliver  energy 
services  and/or  other  energy  efficiency 
measures  to  their  clients,  and  get  paid 
on  the  basis  of  the  savings  they  achieve. 
Being  complementary  to  EU  regulations, 
these  for-profit  businesses  are  seen  as 
key to further stimulating energy efficiency 
in  Europe.  Yet  the  energy  services  market 
still  faces  numerous  barriers,  including  a 
lack of awareness and information, distrust 
in  suppliers,  accounting  rules,  different 
procedures  in  each  country,  and  problems 
accessing finance.

Both  ESCOs  and  EPCs  are  highlighted 

for  financing,  thus  the  public  authority 

in  the  EU’s  Energy  Efficiency  Plan  2011 

does  not  need  to  indebt  itself.  The  project 

as  important  means  for  the  promotion 

is  already  delivering  natural  gas  and  heat 

of  sustainable  energy.  The  European 

energy savings of €100 000 annually. 

Commission is also looking at ways to boost 

Europe’s energy services market. 

Driving energy services

“We  want  to  introduce  advanced  EPC  in 

countries  where  the  concept  is  established 

and  standard  EPC 

in  countries  where  

the market has yet to get going,” says coor-

The 

Intelligent  Energy  –  Europe 

(IEE) 

dinator  Susanne  Berger.  But  she  acknowl-

programme  has  supported 

the  energy 

edges  difficulties  for  EU-wide  harmonisa-

services market via about 20 projects. 

tion:  “We  learned  it  makes  no  sense  today 

The  IEE  project  EESI  is  raising  awareness 

of energy performance contracting through 

the annual European Energy Services Award 

and 24 pilot projects across Europe. It shows 

that  such  contracts  are  a  cost-efficient 

way  of  using  the  building  sector’s  existing  

potential  for  energy  saving.  In  the  Czech  

Republic, SEVen, an EESI partner in Prague, 

is working with the Regional Authority of the 

Pardubice region to cut energy and heat use 

in schools, hospitals, social and healthcare 

centres  in  30  different  locations.  Measures 

include  installation  of  new  enhanced  heat-

ing  systems,  reconstructing  distribution 

systems and improved localised control. 

to  create  a  European  standard  for  energy 

performance  contracts,  so  are  focusing  on 

national  EPC  standards  which  will  benefit 

future projects.” 

Confidence is key

There  is  some  scepticism  in  central  and 

eastern European countries with undeveloped 

energy  services  markets  that  EPCs  will 

deliver  the  promised  energy  savings  and 

pay back the investments made by ESCOs or 

others.  So  the  Permanent  project  seeks  to 

build  confidence  among  financiers  there,  by 

promoting  two  international  protocols  that 

can  be  used  to  measure  and  verify  either 

The  work 

is  financed  under  a  13-year 

energy  performance  or  energy  efficiency. 

energy  service  contract  between  the  ESCO 

Several  hundred  people  in  each  partner 

and  the  building  owners,  with  one  year  for 

country  have  been  trained  to  use  these 

equipment installation and 12 years to repay 

protocols  in  energy  audits,  so  as  to  provide 

the  company’s  investment  of  €1.32  m.  The 

the  all-important  guarantee  of  energy 

ESCO  has  taken  over  the  full  responsibility 

savings from an EPC for buildings. 

  PAGE 12 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

EN_109244.pdf   12

20/09/11   14:47

“Our project’s 49 field  
tests already indicate  
there is huge European  
potential for profitable  
energy efficiency services.”

  700 to 1 000 active ESCOs, 
turning over

€8.5  

 billion annually

indicate  there 

The  ChangeBest  project  is  promoting  the 
development  of  energy  efficiency  services 
(EES), while encouraging companies to enter  
this  sector  based  on  good  business  models. 
According  to  coordinator  Wolfgang  Irrek, 
“Our  project’s  49  field  tests  in  16  Member 
States  already 
is  huge 
European  potential  for  profitable  energy 
efficiency  services.”  The  tests  look  at  ways 
to  roll  out  services  that  are  either  ‘new’ 
or  ‘optimised’  for  a  company,  community 
or  country;  results  are  being  turned  into 
guidelines  for  companies  to  develop 
marketable  and  successful  services.  One 
test, in Denmark, targets the refurbishment 
of  private  households,  a  new  market  niche 
for energy efficiency services.

FOR MORE INFO

EESI

www.european-energy-service-initiative.net
Permanent  www.permanent-project.eu
ChangeBest  www.changebest.eu
FRESH  www.fresh-project.eu 
MINUS 3%  www.minus3.org

FOCUS ON

W H AT   I S   A N   E N E R G Y   P E R F O R M A N C E 
C O N T R A C T ?

Current  energy  performance  contracts 
deliver  between  5%  and  30%  energy 
savings.  The  Fresh  project  is  looking  at 
ways  of  using  them  in  social  housing, 
which  accounts  for  35  million  homes 
across  Europe,  and  achieving  greater 
savings.  According  to  the  coordinator, 
Christophe  Milin,  “The  energy  retrofitting 
of  social  housing  is  hampered  by  a  lack 
of adapted funding. One solution is to use 
EPCs, in which an energy service company 
invests  in  comprehensive  refurbishment 
and  repays  itself  through  the  generated 
savings.” But he notes that laws  covering 
this  field  must  be  clarified,  to  address 
complete  refurbishment  and  problems 
of  recouping  capital  from  the  energy 
savings  enjoyed  by  tenants  after  such 
refurbishment.

(EPCs) 
Energy  Performance  Contracts 
are  increasingly  popular  across  Europe, 
especially in Germany, Austria, the Czech 
Republic  and  Scandinavian  countries. 
They  are  not  a  new  concept,  but  they  are 
only now making inroads into the market, 
in  particular  in  the  public  building  sector 
–  where  they  offer  owners  a  guaranteed, 
quantifiable  and  long-term  reduction  in 
energy  consumption  and  energy  costs. 
They  appeal  to  local  authorities  seeking 
easy  access  to  finance  in  this  sector,  one 
traditionally ignored by risk-averse banks. 

EPCs come in various forms, depending for 
example  on  the  agreed  payback  times  or 
penalties. In a typical one, which may cover 
heating  and  the  envelope  of  a  building, 
an  ESCO  (energy  service  company)  will 
design  and  implement  an  energy  retrofit 
with a guaranteed level of savings. These 
savings  are  used  to  reimburse  part  or 
all  of  the  ESCO’s 
investments.  
The building’s owner or tenants may benefit 
from some of the energy savings. When all 
investments  have  been  reimbursed,  the 
contract  ends  and  henceforth  the  owner 
and/or  tenant  benefits  from  all  energy 
savings.

initial 

EN_109244.pdf   13

20/09/11   14:47

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 13

 
COUNTRY PROFILE

Plotting paths  
for renewables
Snapshots  of  solar  power,  biomass  and  hydropower 
allow German and Polish partners in four IEE projects 
to roll out new plans.

EU  Member  States  are  ramping  up  their 
use  of  renewable  energies  to  ensure  they 
make  up  at  least  20%  of  their  final  energy 
consumption  by  2020,  in  line  with  national 
commitments under the Renewable Energy 
Directive.  The  Re-Shaping  project  gives 
them  a  helping  hand  and  will  contribute  to 
the  formulation  of  European  renewables 
policy beyond 2020. 

future deployment of renewables. According  
to  the  Re-Shaping  project’s  coordinator  
Dr  Mario  Ragwitz,  “German  government 
ministries  and  energy  regulators  are 
benefiting from our project recommendations 
on  optimising  RES  policy  measures.  This 
includes the economic efficiency of renewables 
support  schemes  and  the  effectiveness  of 
renewables policies nationwide.” 

The project has published RES Policy Country 
Profiles,  which  assess  Member  States’ 
renewables policy effectiveness and efficiency. 
The  profiles  are  snapshots  of  national 
successes  and  failures,  now  widely  used  by 
energy-sector investors and local authorities 
to improve best practice for renewables policy. 
A web-based ‘scenarios viewer’ also shows 
how  EU  policy  choices  on  everything  from 
biomass  imports  to  subsidies  would  affect 

Germany’s 2020 target is 18%, but it intends 
to  beat  this  and  achieve  19.6%  under  the 
new national renewable energy action plan. 
“Because of this planned overachievement, 
Germany  is  in  a  strong  position  to  discuss 
the  EU  Renewables  Directive  ‘cooperation 
mechanisms’ with other EU countries,” adds 
Mario, referring to the possibility for Member 
States to exchange their renewables target 
surpluses and deficits. 

Polish farmer’s straw-fueled boiler.

  PAGE 14 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

By calling on solar 
energy, Europe could 
cover the equivalent of 
the total space and water 
heating consumption 
of almost 10 million 
households today.

Stuttgart homes and residences which are 
ideally designed for the use of solar energy.

Switching on solar

About half of the energy consumed in Europe 

goes  on  heating  and  cooling  of  buildings 

and  for  industrial  applications.  Satisfying 

this  demand  is  tough.  But  solar  thermal  is 

one  proven  and  cost-effective  technology 

solution. By calling on solar energy, Europe 

could cover the equivalent of the total space 

and  water  heating  consumption  of  almost  

10 million households today.

ProSTO  aims  to  boost  the  use  of  solar 

thermal  systems  by  promoting  solar  ther-

mal  obligations  (STOs),  local  regulations 

that  oblige  owners  of  new  and  renovated 

buildings  to  install  solar  thermal  systems.  

The  project  developed  a  database  on  exist-

ing STOs, plus a Developers Toolbox to guide 

communities in setting up their own STO. 

The  German  partners  in  ProSTO  were  the 

City of Stuttgart and the Steinbeis Research 

Institute  (Solites).  For  new  public  buildings 

and  renovations,  Stuttgart  recently  set 

energy requirements that were 30% stricter 

than the equivalent national legal regulation. 

This  municipal  initiative  in  Stuttgart  has 

been  followed  by  new  regional  and  federal 

laws  using  the  same  approach.  The  two 

project  partners  have  capitalised  on  their 

STO  experience,  for  example  organising 

a  campaign  to  promote  solar  thermal  in 

Stuttgart’s multi-family homes. 

EN_109244.pdf   14

20/09/11   14:47

“Hydropower generates  
a relatively small share 
of energy in Poland,  
but plays a significant 
role in energy grids.” 

COUNTRY PROFILE

“We learned that solar thermal laws are  
not enough: local authorities in Germany  
and the rest of Europe also need support  
and tools to implement them.”

Newly 

installed  solar  thermal  plants 

in 

basis where biomass energy is concentrated 

Stuttgart  increased  by  10%  between  2008 

and  its  energy  potential,  including  where 

and  2009,  compared  with  a  drop  of  about 

this  biomass  can  be  potentially  used 

20% across the rest of Germany, mainly due 

(energy  sinks)  especially  for  heat  and 

to  the  financial  crisis.  Thomas  Pauschinger 

electricity  production.  Armed  with  this 

of  Solites  attributes  this  to  the  Baden-

knowledge, regional authorities will develop 

Wuerttemberg  region’s  renewable  heat  law 

regional  masterplans  for  sustainable  use 

and Stuttgart’s sustainable energy initiatives. 

of  renewables.  Local  communities  and 

“We learned that solar thermal laws are not 

farmers are included in every step, ensuring 

enough:  local  authorities  in  Germany  and 

the plan is workable and will succeed. 

the  rest  of  Europe  also  need  support  and 

tools to implement them,” he says, referring 

mainly to awareness-raising campaigns and 

guidelines on setting up a STO.

Using local biomass

Many  European  regions  sit  on  a  biomass 

‘goldmine’,  without  knowing  it.  One  project 

focused  on  renewables  energy  planning  is 

now  highlighting  this  huge  potential  in  the 

UK,  Germany,  Poland  and  Italy.  BEn,  the 

Biomass energy register for sustainable site 

development  for  European  Regions,  shows 

local  authorities  what  kind  of  biomass 

is  available  and  storable  in  their  area, 

to  prompt  them  to  play  an  active  role  in 

The  project’s  two  Polish  partners  are  the 

Institute  for  Ecology  of  Industrial  Areas 

(IETU) and the Gostynin Lake District Tourist 

Communes  Association  (StowGmin).  “In  our  

Central  Poland  region,  the  GIS  tool  convinced  

local  communities  that  it  is  feasible  to 

build  biomass  plants  that  run  sustainably 

on  locally  sourced  straw  or  wood,”  says 

Janusz  Krupanek  of  IETU.  Potential  biomass 

investments 

identified 

there 

include 

individual  heating  boilers  for  local  farms 

between  20  and  200  ha,  medium-sized 

biogas plants for husbandry farms and food 

producers,  and  briquette  production  for 

regional use in individual boilers.

regional energy planning.

Hydropower database

potential  to  upgrade  old  schemes  or  build 
new ones, SHP production and capacity have 
stagnated  –  due  to  growing  environmental 
concerns and time-consuming administration. 

The  SHP  Stream  Map  project  is  looking  at 
opportunities  and  challenges  in  the  sector. 
One  result  is  HYDI,  a  unique  database 
on  hydropower  installed  capacity  and 
production  in  the  EU27,  updated  annually. 
“A  methodology  for  reliable  data  collection 
for HYDI has been developed, despite severe 
problems in acquiring data from some major 
energy actors,” says Dr Janusz Steller, from 
the  Polish  Hydropower  Association,  one  of 
the eleven project partners. 

Janusz  notes  there  has  been  no  major 
hydropower  scheme  in  Poland  since  1971,  
but  that  more  than  80%  of  its  technical 
hydropower  potential  remains  untapped. 
“Hydropower  generates  a  relatively  small 
share  of  energy 
in  Poland,  but  plays  a 
significant role in energy grids – so vital in a 
country  developing  its  wind  power  sector.”  
The next project goal is to create a roadmap 
for  the  small  hydropower  sector,  which  
can  be  used  to 
influence  the  country’s 
decision-makers.

The  project  delivered  an  online  biomass 

Small  hydropower  (SHP)  covers  installed 

FOR MORE INFO 

energy  register 

for 

the 

four  selected 

capacity  up  to  10  MW.  Europe  still  leads 

regions,  using  biomass  data  in  a  web-

the  world 

in  this  sector,  generating 

based  Geographical  Information  System. 

enough  electricity  to  power  over  12  million 

The tool’s users can visualise on a regional 

households.  But  while  experts  see  huge 

Ben www.ben-project.eu
SHP Stream Map www.streammap.esha.be
Re-Shaping www.reshaping-res-policy.eu
ProSTO www.solarordinances.eu

EN_109244.pdf   15

20/09/11   14:47

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 15

 
ON THE GROUND

“How a vehicle is driven 
makes a significant 
impact on how much  
fuel is used.”

Training makes  
the difference
Education  and  training  projects  that  are  part  of  the 
Sustainable  Energy  Europe  Campaign  are  resulting  
in real energy savings.

Vehicle performance is linked to driver  
behaviour, load, and fuel purchases.

Helping drivers save energy

we  think  about  extending  the  programme 

Thanks  to  Bociai,  older  people  are  being  

across a partner’s fleet of, say, more than 100 

equipped  with  marketable  skills  and  im-

trucks,  the  savings  will  really  begin  to  add 

provements are taking place in apartments 

up. That’s good news for the environment.”

across  Lithuania.  During  the  seven-day 

As  part  of  the  Sustainable  Energy  Europe 

Campaign, Shell and its Netherlands-based 

partner The Emons Group put an innovative 

new  fuel  management  system  to  the  test 

using a fleet of 17 Emons Recycling Logistics 

vehicles.  Called  Shell  FuelSave  Partner, 

the  technique  is  designed  for  commercial 

course,  participants  aged  over  50  learn 

about  energy  and  the  environment,  as  well 

as  the  law,  and  ways  to  communicate  with 

residents. Many graduates have been hired 

by  building  management  companies,  or 

have  become  the  renovation  representative 

for their own building.

Of  course  employment 

is  not  the  pro-

gramme’s only positive outcome. The reno-

vations are increasing energy efficiency and 

savings  for  individuals,  while  decreasing 

CO₂ emissions.

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

Petras Ruzgus 

www.lietuvosbociai.lt

road  transport  operators  and  uses 

in-

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

vehicle  monitoring  and  real  time  analysis 

Joseph Machado 

of  where  fuel  is  being  consumed,  lost  or 

www.shellfuelsavepartner.nl or  

r.nlnlnllll ororororor

used  inappropriately.  It  tracks  a  range  of 

www.shellfuelsavepartner.com  

parameters,  including  individual  measures 

(click on “More about”  

of driver performance, such as acceleration.

and “Visit web site”)

“We  have  found  that  driver-related  factors 

are key to improving fuel consumption,” says 

Dr  Joseph  Machado,  responsible  for  Shell’s 

Global  Commercial  Environmental  Solutions. 

Never too old to learn

“How a vehicle is driven makes a significant 

Many Lithuanians grapple with high energy 

impact on how much fuel is used.”

Using  tailored  training  sessions  based  on 

the  information  provided  by  Shell  FuelSave 

Partner,  Emons  worked  with  drivers  one-

on-one. Shell FuelSave Partner links vehicle 

bills  because  their  previously  state-owned 

apartment buildings were built when energy 

efficiency was not a priority. Renovating is a 

challenge,  because  homeowners  associa-

tions do not typically exist.

performance  with  driver  behaviour,  load 

The Union of Lithuanian Pensioners (Bociai) 

management  and  fuel  purchases.  Detailed 

has  created  a  popular  training  programme 

analyses  allow  fleet  managers  to  engage 

that  addresses  this  as  well  as  another 

drivers to take immediate action.

problem: age discrimination.

“For  some  drivers  at  Emons,  we  saw  up 

“Our training is expressly designed for senior 

to  10%  savings  in  fuel  consumption  in  the 

citizens - a valuable sector of the workforce,” 

first  six  months,”  Joseph  explains.  “When 

says Petras Ruzgus, chairman of Bociai. 

  PAGE 16 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

EN_109244.pdf   16

20/09/11   14:47

“Customers walk  
into the dealership  
at La Rochelle,  
and say ‘Wow’.”

ON THE GROUND

European energy inspiration

Two projects, both part of the Sustainable Energy  
Europe Campaign, demonstrate energy efficient  
solutions and hold great potential for pan-European 
replication.

Toyota’s enviro-wise car dealership  
in La Rochelle is carbon neutral.

from nine other countries recently launched 

explains  Christopher.  “It  is  obvious  that 

the  “European  Citizens  Climate  Cup,”  a 

together  with  our  dealer  Ronan  Chabot,  

competition  between  private  households. 

we have created something different.” 

Winners are recognised for the largest energy 

savings  and  the  lowest  CO₂  emissions,  with 

all tracking done using the iESA.

Instant information,  
instant gratification

Individual.  Dialogue.  Free.  These  words 

describe 

the  Energy 

Savings  Club 

(Energiesparclub) and its interactive Energy 

Savings  Account  (iESA),  where  members 

input their heating fuel, electricity and water 

meter  readings  or  usage  estimates  into  an 

online  system.  Thanks  to  20  integrated 

online  advisory  tools,  the  iESA  provides 

users  with  instant  feedback  on  how,  based 

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

on  lifecycle-costs,  they  can  increase  their 

Claudia Julius 

energy savings.

www.theclimatecup.eu

“In  Germany  alone,  32  000  members  are  

registered,” says Claudia Julius of co₂online. 

“These  households  benefit 

from 

free 

feedback  and  advice  on  how  to  cut  costs 

The future of retail, French style

and CO₂ emissions. We found that members 

Close  to  La  Rochelle  on  the  west  coast 

are reducing natural gas consumption by an 

of  France,  an  exemplary  car  dealership 

average  of  4%  each  year,  and  saving  even 

combines  innovation  and  design.  Toyota 

more on costs, especially if prices rise.”

has built a carbon-neutral building that will 

The Energiesparclub was founded in Germany 

serve as a benchmark for future projects. 

by  co₂online  gGmbH.  “As  far  as  we  know,  no 

“Toyota  takes  a  360  degree  approach  to 

other  single  system  covers  so  many  aspects 

sustainability,”  says  Christopher  Barrow, 

of  energy  savings  advice  and  consumption 

Manager  of  Sustainable  Development  for 

monitoring  with  a  single  log-in,”  Claudia 

Toyota France. This means an environmental 

adds.  By  next  year,  membership  of  the 

strategy  for  each  step  in  an  automobile’s 

Energiesparclub is expected to reach 100 000.

lifetime,  from  design  and  manufacturing,  to 

Replicating  this  German  success,  thanks  to 

logistics, distribution, and end of life recycling. 

support from the Intelligent Energy – Europe 

“Customers  walk  into  the  Toyota  &  Lexus 

Programme, co₂online and consumer groups 

dealership  at  La  Rochelle,  and  say  ‘Wow,’” 

Energy  use  is  significantly  less,  thanks  to 

the  structure’s  energy  efficient  design. 

For  heating,  ventilation  and  cooling  Toyota 

installed  a  series  of  underground  pipes 

that  use  the  temperature  of  the  earth  to 

regulate  the 

inside  air.  Other  features 

include  a  green  roof  to  provide  insulation 

and  shading,  and  building  insulation  made 

of recycled materials. All showroom lighting 

uses  energy  efficient  lamps.  Furthermore, 

around  2  000  square  metres  of  photovoltaic 

panels have been installed on the roof; these 

produce on average three times the amount 

of energy consumed on site.

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

Christopher Barrow 

www.toys-motors.fr/eco-concession-

la-rochelle.php 

EN_109244.pdf   17

20/09/11   14:47

 N°3 - OCTOBER 2011 / 

PAGE 17

 
R E N E W A B L E   E N E R G Y

“Gemasolar  
is the first commercial 
plant in the world to  
use this technology.”

ON THE GROUND

The energy of the sun  
powers our world
Spain is host to two forward-thinking Sustainable  
Energy Europe Campaign projects which use the 
Mediterranean sun to produce energy for our needs. 

Thoughtful design ensures that the building 
decreases the need for electrical lighting.

is the critical advantage of this system. We 

façade,  along  with  thermal  insulation,  act 

have achieved a method that enables to turn 

as a shield to keep the daytime heat at bay. 

a  renewable  source  like  solar  energy  into 

Air  conditioning  relies  on  a  free  cooling 

a  ‘dispatchable’  energy,  meaning  we  are 

system,  which  means  that  when  possible 

capable of supplying electricity on demand. 

cooler air from outside the building is used 

Other  renewable  energies  like  wind  power 

to  ventilate  the  interior.  Solar  thermal  and 

generation have no easy storage option.”

photovoltaic  systems  have  been  installed 

Capturing the sun’s rays –  
with salt!

Further  south  in  Spain,  energy  experts 

are  putting  renewables  to  the  test  with 

an 

innovative  tower  plant  that  uses  a 

combination  of  solar  energy  and  molten 

salts  to  capture  and  store  energy.  When 

commercial  production  begins  at 

the 

The  technology  has  been  developed  by  the 

Gemasolar  plant  in  Seville  later  this  year, 

engineering  and  technology  group  SENER, 

it  has  been  estimated  that  the  tower  will 

the majority shareholder of Torresol Energy.

supply  clean  and  secure  energy  to  25  000 

households, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions 

by more than 30 000 tonnes annually.

Launched  by  Torresol  Energy  Investments, 

S.A.,  a  private  energy  company  based  in 

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

Juan Ignacio Burgaleta 

www.torresolenergy.com

Bizkaia,  Gemasolar  is  a  massive  plant  that 

uses  central  tower  receiver  technology 

with  a  heat  storage  system.  This  means 

that  thousands  of  mirrors  (or  heliostats) 

surrounding  a  tower  focus  solar  rays,  and 

an innovative molten salts system within the 

tower  transfers  heat  to  a  boiler.  The  heat 

collected  by  the  salts,  capable  of  reaching 

temperatures  above  500  degrees  Celsius, 

generates  steam  and  produces  electrical 

power. Excess energy captured from the sun 

Innovation around every corner

“Considering  the  Catalan  heat,  durability 

is  key,”  said  Joan  Sabaté  of  SaAS  Sabaté 

F O R   M O R E   I N F O

Associates  Architecture  and  Sustainability. 

Joan Sabaté 

on  the  roof  of  the  BST.  Interior  blinds  with 

mirrored  components  transport  daylight 

into the building, which decreases the need 

for electrical lighting.

“The  demand  for  electricity  for  lighting 

has  been  reduced  by  about  30%  because 

of  the  window  blinds,”  Joan  explains.  

The  blinds  automatically  rotate  in  relation  

to the position of the sun. 

“The  BST  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the 

most  energy  efficient  buildings 

in  the 

Mediterranean  region  because  of  the  vast 

savings in thermal demand,” Joan adds.

can be transferred and stored in the molten 

He  was  describing  the  facilities  of  the 

www.saas.es/banco-de-sangre-de-
angregre dddede

salt tank.

“Gemasolar is the first commercial plant in 

the world to use this technology,” says Juan 

Blood  and  Tissue  Bank  of  Catalonia  (BST), 

cataluna/

designed  to  be  sustainable  and  energy-

smart. 

Ignacio Burgaleta, Director of Technology for 

Innovation  is  everywhere.  For  starters,  the 

Torresol Energy. “Storage of the solar energy 

walls  are  extra-thick.  The  density  of  the 

  PAGE 18 

/ N°3 - OCTOBER 2011

EN_109244.pdf   18

20/09/11   14:47

 
Tools and 
services 
for local 
and regional authorities 
and energy agencies

www.managenergy.net
Interactive website
Networking opportunities
Capacity building workshops
Case studies and good practice
Education corner
Information on EU legislation
Annual events

© littlesam - Shutterstock

EN_109244.pdf   19

20/09/11   14:47

 
E
A
-
A
B
-
1
1
-
0
0
3
-
E
N
-
C

IEE INTELLIGENCE

Dates for your diary

> November 2011: The results of the evaluation of the 2011 call for proposals are revealed.

>  November 2011 – February 2012: Negotiations on the proposals recommended  

for funding. 

> February 2012 onwards: Grant agreements will be signed. You can start work!

> Early 2012: Next IEE call for proposals.

INTELLIGENT APPLICATION

Become an expert evaluator  
for Intelligent Energy – Europe

If you are an expert in the field of sustainable energy or transport and you are not applying 
for  funding  from  the  Intelligent  Energy  –  Europe  Programme,  you  may  be  interested  
in helping us to evaluate project proposals.

Why not apply to be included on our list of evaluators? 
http://ec.europa.eu/eaci/call_en.htm

Once  you  are  on  this  list,  and  depending  on  the  nature  of  the  task,  we  may  invite  you  
to assist us in future evaluation exercises.

e x e c u t i v e   a g e n c y

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
f o r   c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s   &   i n n o v a t i o n  

EN_109244.pdf   20

20/09/11   14:47