Balance globally, evaluate locally (BALANCE)

The project is based on a successful certification and quality management system for energy efficient municipalities, the European Energy Award (EEA). Within the action, the existing EEA tools are further developed to achieve a harmonised methodology and a tool for energy/CO₂ balances at municipal level in general as well as individual hard and soft measures in particular. The tools were worked out in close collaboration with the municipalities, the EEA energy advisors and experts and were supported by a comprehensive evaluation of existing software tools and methodologies. The new elaborated tools are easy to apply and also appropriate for the application in smaller municipalities. They are tested in 30 municipalities and after some revision widely implemented within the EEA network. Finally, based on this work, a system of voluntary agreements between local and regional bodies as well as CO₂ town twinning projects were further developed based on existing good practice examples in business.

Results

• The implementation of harmonised methodologies and/or tools for energy and CO₂ balancing at municipal level in each participating country has taken place. Each partner decided on a specific Balancing Tool for his or her country. The tools were tested and the test phase was evaluated. These experiences are taken into account before the widespread implementation in each country. The target group for the Balancing Tools are the internal or external experts and the advisors of the municipality.
• The Impact Tool for the estimation of energy and CO₂ saving potentials of measures in municipalities was finalised. Recommendations made by the municipalities during the testing phase were taken into consideration. The implementation of the Impact Tool started in each country. The target group for the Impact Tool are mainly the internal experts supported by the energy consultants.
• Apeldoorn, Heerhugoward and Etten-Leur, three cities in the Netherlands were certified by an external auditor and awarded with the European Energy Award®. Vsetin and Kněžice, two cities in the Czech Republic were certified by an external auditor. Kněžice was awarded with the European Energy Award®.
• A scheme for voluntary agreements between national or regional Ministries and local authorities was worked out. In Austria and Switzerland commitments for CO₂ reduction are already part of the EEA® contract between the authorities and the communities. In Germany two Länder ministries plan to sign such an agreement.
• An expert hearing about CO₂ town twinning examples and good practice took place in Kaunas, Lithuania with participants from several countries. A scheme for collecting data on CO₂ town twinning projects was worked out. Existing town twinning agreements involving EEA® cities and towns were investigated. The first CO₂ town twinning projects were initiated.
• At the moment, around 450 municipalities are taking part in the EEA programme, 130 more since the start of the project.

Total cost: 819 510 EUR

Coordinator: B.&S.U. Beratungs- und Service Gesellschaft Umwelt mbH, Germany

Partners:

• B.&S.U. Beratungs- und Service Gesellschaft Umwelt mbH, Germany
• Österreichische Energieagentur, Austria
• SEVEn, Stredisko pro efektivni vyuzivani energie, o.p.s., Czech Republic
• Forum European Energy Award e.V., Germany
• SWS Group Ltd, Ireland
• Agenzia Regionale per l’Energia della Liguria SPA, Italy
• Lithuanian Energy Institute, Lithuania
• Ecofys b.v., Netherlands