Supporting citizens in the rational use of energy
Saving energy is an area with unused potential. Such a belief is becoming more and more common, especially taking into consideration the crisis on the energy price market. Changing consumer behavior is therefore key to improving energy efficiency in buildings and contributes to rationalizing energy consumption and reducing costs.
Actions aimed at reducing energy consumption and supporting households in introducing positive changes in their homes are an increasingly common practice used by local governments. More and more people “have a very conscious and responsible approach to climate-related issues, including the reduction of energy consumption” (from the letter of the president of Bielsko-Biała to the residents). In order to meet local needs, various initiatives are undertaken related to energy consulting, facilitating access to subsidies, building awareness and good habits, and consequently reducing energy poverty.
Report on the workshop on the impact of the COVID pandemic on the energy situation of buildings and healthy and sustainable construction
Report on the workshop on the impact of the COVID pandemic on the energy situation of buildings and healthy and sustainable construction
An online format workshop on the impact of the COVID pandemic on the energy situation of public buildings and healthy and sustainable construction was held on September 23, 2022.
6-year REBUS project comes to the end
On September 6-7, 2022, the final meeting of the entire REBUS project consortium was held in Durham, UK. Also PNEC representatives were the attendees.
During the event, the partners summarized the implemented activities and determined the next steps leading to the completion of the project. Representatives of the city, university and organizations operating in Durham shared their experiences related to climate and environmental protection, presenting implemented projects, solutions and showing opportunities for cooperation between different stakeholders.
Last issue of the S3UNICA newsletter
We would like to invite you to read the latest - and the last - newsletter of the S3UNICA project (Intelligent energy-saving solutions on university campuses). This time, it raises new interesting issues related to the implementation of effective solutions on university campuses. It presents the most interesting events that took place during the implementation of the project. It informs about the success of the Italian University of Udine, where a partnership agreement was signed for the implementation of the modernisation and maintaining of energy systems project. You can read about the on-line meeting of the project partners and the international exchange of experiences organized in June 2022 by PNEC and an event for representatives of Polish universities from Bielsko-Biała in Krakow, who during the study visit could learn about interesting, energy-efficient solutions at universities in Krakow . Another points of interest are the results of the GreenMetric report, in which universities are assessed in terms of supporting ecology and implementing the principles of sustainable development. The study covered almost 1,000 universities from all over the world, including 264 from Europe. The newsletter also presents the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on emission levels and emerging differences in energy efficiency between different universities.
The newsletter is available here.
Visit of the Representatives of the Covenant of Mayors East in Cieszyn
We organized a study visit for Representatives of the Covenant of Mayors East, thanks to courtesy and commitment of the City of Cieszyn, on July 1, 2022. The meeting in Cieszyn was an opportunity for representatives of the eastern cities to exchange experiences and learn more about good practices implemented in that border town.
The first part of the meeting took place at the City Hall. The mayor of the city - Przemyslaw Major welcomed the guests and introduced the topic of shaping urban space, involving residents in initiatives and climate protection by presenting numerous investments implemented in the city. Then Alexander Dorda, Head of the Department of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, and Erik Stępień, Energy Efficiency Manager, focused on issues related to energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and the use of renewable energy sources in the city. Shared knowledge sparked an interesting debate among participants on adapting cities to change and investment financing investment.
Exchange of experience within the REBUS project
As part of the REBUS project "Renovation for Energy efficient BUildingS", an exchange of experience was organised between the Association of Municipalities Polish Network "Energie Cités", which acted as host and partners from Hungary and Romania (organisations BORA 94 and SERDA). The meeting took place on 8 July in Krakow.
The event was opened by Anna Jaskuła - Director of the Association, who welcomed the participants and presented the agenda of the meeting. The first presentation was given by Patrycja Płonka, project manager at the Association, who talked about the funding opportunities under the 'European Funds for Małopolska 2021 - 2027', which will support the improvement of energy efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector, with particular emphasis on public buildings. Another presentation was given by Bartłomiej Smenda, project assistant at the Association. He presented the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy consumption in public buildings and consequently greenhouse gas emissions. Patrycja Płonka then drew attention to the growing importance of ensuring adequate indoor conditions in public buildings. This presentation provided an introduction to the second part of the event, during which good practices for healthy and sustainable buildings in Poland were presented.
EL-Practice project newsletter
We would like to warmly invite you to read the first newsletter published by the EL-Practice project, which is financed with the support of the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program.
We have dedicated the first number to the main objectives of the project and its basic goals. It also describes where we met for the first time as part of the transnational meeting of project partners.
MULTIPLY at the World Urban Forum
PNEC representatives took part in the World Urban Forum (WUF11), which was organised in Katowice from 26 till 30 of June 2022. The event was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the needs and challenges of cities, especially taking into consideration the main objectives of our organization, which are aspects related to climate change and the need to protect the environment. Active participation in the European Track, dedicated to the a just transformation of cities in the context of global challenges, made it possible to present the results of the work and good practices gained during the implementation of the three-year MULTIPLY project. It perfectly matched to the objectives of WUF11. The developed and proven solutions, ready for implementation in other cities, thus reached a wider community. The event helped solidify the importance of integrated planning, taking into account aspects of energy, transportation and friendly public space. Also, participation in other numerous panel discussions, lectures, or valuable workshops, including those organized in cooperation with the Danish Embassy, provided the opportunity to expand knowledge and gain new perspectives for further action.
Seminar "Integrated local actions for energy and climate" and study visit - meeting in Mińsk Mazowiecki
Integrated local action for energy and climate was the topic of the meeting that took place on June 23-24 in Mińsk Mazowiecki. The participants had the opportunity to share their experiences as well as listen to experts’ presentations. A study visit, during which interesting from the perspective of energy and climate management facilities in Mińsk Mazowiecki were visited, was also a part of the event.
Study visit in Krakow within S3UNICA project
On June 9, 2022 the representatives of the Bielsko-Biała universities and schools operating in the Local Advisory Group took part in the study visit in Krakow within the S3UNICA project - Intelligent solutions on university campuses. The purpose of the event was to inspire the implementation of new solutions on campuses in Bielsko-Biała by presenting energy efficiency investments implemented at Kraków's universities.