Regions in the Energy Transition

Regions have been at the forefront of developing sustainable policies in Europe for any years with two major factors favoring this trend: (1) promoting renewables and energy efficiency is not only environmentally sound, it is also economically beneficial, and (2) regions are the right political level to make such change happen.

The favorable economics of energy efficiency have never been as clear and compelling as now. Strategies aimed at implementing pervasive improvements in efficiency are an obvious and effective way to save energy, to improve competitiveness, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Moreover, in an overall European context seeking to improve energy security, the diversification of energy sources through renewables represents a trump card. Renewable energies can also boost research, and consequently innovation, and act as an engine for job creation thus fostering economic growth. Finally, renewable energy sources are available locally on a decentralized basis.

Long regional track-record

This is precisely why regions are relevant partners and have a key role to play in energy strategies, in spite of varying levels of devolved competences. It is not surprising that energy has been high on the AER agenda for quite some time with work led by the Working Group on Energy and Climate Change.

In 2006, and together with the European Federation of Regional Energy and Environment Agencies (FEDARENE), AER established a declaration committing regions to deploy energy efficient practices and alternative energy sources. Two years later and together with 11 partner regions, AER kicked off the MORE4NRG project to help regions improve their sustainable energy strategies and to create a specific tool that measures their progress towards achieving energy targets.

In 2007, when the EU triple 20 targets were established, regions were sharing good practices, developing projects, carrying out peer reviews, lobbying the institutions and generally developing policies in their territories in favor of better use of energy. In 2010, AER published a white paper on Energy and Climate Change as well as a survey on Sustainable Energy Policies in European Regions. Each year, AER is involved in the World Sustainable Energy Days in Wels (Austria) and in 2015 AER was proud to represent regions at the historic COP21 in Paris.

AER is a proud promoter of the Compact of States and Regions, encouraging regions to report, showcase and analyze their climate efforts. The Compact of States and Regions is the first dedicated global reporting mechanism for states, provinces and regions to showcase and analyze their climate efforts. Through an annual assessment, it provides a transparent and global picture of actions to tackle climate change – allowing state and regional governments to measure their emissions and set ambitious reduction goals.

AER has also worked closely with other organizations, networks and even private partners involved in the field of energy including UNDP, General Electrics, R20, FEDARENE, NRG4SD, to name but a few.

Peer reviews in MORE4NRG

MORE4NRG is an INTERREG IVC project to strengthen the delivery of regional strategies for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by exchanging best practices on sustainable energy policies and jointly developing an integrated monitoring tool for measuring the effect of regional sustainable energy strategies.

To improve energy efficiency within its territory, the region must assess the consumption of energy in different public and private utilities such as factories, services and public buildings. The energy audit should serve as a starting point for any new reliable and effective regional energy strategy. Once the energy audit is done, appropriate energy efficiency measures should be quickly implemented where important energy profits can be released at relatively low price.

5 peer reviews were carried out in the framework of the project: Maramures (RO), Western Greece (GR), Gabrovo (BG) and Prahova (RO) in 2009, as well as Abruzzo (IT). “The outcomes of these audits are more than satisfactory”, says Anne Bliek, Chair of the MORE4NRG Monitoring Board and Deputy Queen’s Commissioner of the province of Flevoland (NL), adding that “AER’s Peer Reviews undoubtedly played a key role in the project’s success. They allowed us to share our knowledge and to learn from each other. The regions that hosted peer reviews were offered the unique opportunity to identify their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to developing innovative energy policies. Our project has triggered a major change in their energy policy making, and I am happy to see how fast their energy landscapes are being transformed.”

The project also highlighted the regional diversity and creativity in tackling a huge variety of environmental challenges. MORE4NRG led to the identification of 33 good practices, with 10 of them already in the transfer process. Some examples:

• The “Soap-on-tap” initiative, implemented by the Italian region of Lazio, encourages reductions in the use of packaging, and subsequently optimizes energy consumption linked to the production of paper, thanks to reusable washing detergent containers installed in the large-scale retail trade. The project has been implemented in the province of Flevoland.
• Maramures explored the possibility of using satellite technologies in the field of biomass-based energy.
• Gabrovo has integrated a special chapter on energy efficiency into its regional development strategy while Prahova is prepared its regional energy action plan.
• The Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency in Western Greece created the Park of Energy Awareness. The aim is to offer citizens a chance to discover various forms of alternative energy sources and learn more about technologies used to produce clean energy. A similar park should be created in Prahova, Maramures and Gabrovo to fill a gap in the ecological education system by providing concrete demonstrates that make it more practical.

Regional stories

Hampshire County (UK): Integrated waste management system

Hampshire County Council sends a smaller proportion of waste to landfill than any other county in the UK. Much of this success can be attributed to the county’s investment in three state of-the-art Energy Recovery Facilities (ERFs). These facilities, capable of taking 420,000 tons of waste per annum, convert non-recyclable waste that would otherwise be landfilled into up to 38MW of electricity for the National Grid – the equivalent to that which would power over 53,000 homes.

The three ERFs, which have all been acclaimed for their stunning architecture and their minimal impact on the environment, have given Hampshire an energy recovery rate of 47%. The kerbside collection schemes of ‘dry’ materials like paper, card plastic and cans have been set up by local authorities and now cover 96% of Hampshire’s households. The materials collected from the kerbside are delivered to the Materials Recovery Facilities, where they are separated by a combination of automatic and manual sorting. (Source: Hampshire County Council and Veolia Environment)

Oppland County (NO): Waste Management in Lillehammer

96% of the total energy production in the county comes from hydropower. The remaining 4% is bio-energy. The County of Oppland consumes approximately half of its energy production. The rest is transferred to the other areas within Norway or exported. Despite the surplus in energy production, the potential for generating energy from hydro and biomass resources is still not fully harnessed, as the county is covered with large forest areas and a high number of mountain rivers. An increase in the production of bio-energy is one of the county’s main goals.

As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The waste management plant Mjøsanlegget AS in Lillehammer (Oppland-NO) is the result of a growing desire for environmentally friendly treatment of waste in the beginning of the 1990s, and especially in the planning of the Olympics at Lillehammer in 1994. The plant is producing biogas, fertilizer and compost from food waste from 246,000 inhabitants in the region. In addition, they are processing food waste from businesses as large households, grocery stores, restaurant and hotels.

The plant was put into operation in 2000, and expanded and upgraded in 2015. The plant currently has the capacity to process 30,000 tonnes of food waste. After upgrading the plant have more closed buildings and processes, which will give less problems with smell and less access to the waste for birds and other animals. (Source: Oppland County Council)

Västernorrland (SE): Storing snow for cooling in Sundsvall

Västernorrland County is in northern Sweden, a part of the world generally associated with snow and cold, but the summers are warm and buildings and equipment need to be cooled. The County Council has consistently worked to reduce the use of energy since 1995, steadily replacing conventional chillers with other solutions.

Snow cooling is the most acknowledged energy-efficient project to date and the technology is used to cool the hospital in Sundsvall. The plant is the first of its kind in the world (operating since 2000) and the method is very simple: snow is stored in the winter and melts in the summer. The meltwater is used to cool the hospital over the summer. The method is old and proven and can be used wherever snow is available. The storage has a volume of 30,000 m3 and covers a football field of around 6,000 m2. The snow is stocked on a waterproof, heat-insulated plate. The layer of wood chips that covers the storage prevents snow from melting rapidly. Water from melted snow flows into a pump and directly into the hospital. Thanks to this system, the consumption of electricity at the hospital has been reduced from 450 MWh to 40 MWh and the amount of cooling medium is reduced from 500 kg to 0 kg. (Source: “Renewable energy in Västernorrland”, Västernorrland Energikontor)

After visiting the snow cooling plant in Sundsvall, Japan has set up 160 similar facilities since the Fukushima disaster.

Baden-Württemberg (DE): Exploiting hydro-electricity

The German region is home to the adjustable hydroelectric plant, by Hydro-Energie Roth GmbH. By using innovative technology, the plant can produce up to 40% more power annually compared to traditional hydroelectric plants. It is low maintenance and can reduce noise pollution by using quiet generators on a common shaft, and the plant’s generator technology can achieve a higher energy output of between three and five per cent, which can be increased by up to 40% when operating with large quantities of water.

Vojvodina (RS): Expanding Biomass Employment

The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an energy-deficient province in Serbia. Traditional fuels like firewood, dung and crop residues currently contribute a major share in meeting the everyday energy requirements of rural and low-income urban households in Vojvodina. Contribution of the renewable energy sources in the total consumption of energy in Vojvidina is less than 1%, amounting to 280 KWh/year. As the raw materials for bioethanol production are mainly sugar beet, corn, wheat surpluses, potato surpluses and waste potato, as well as the raw materials intended for these purposes grown on the uncultivated soils, such as hybrid broomcorn, Jerusalem artichoke and triticale.

With the introduction of new technologies, cultivating and collecting biomass production for electrical energy could increase to 6.4 GWh/m2 year, representing 9% of the total current consumption. According to the program to realize the Vojvodina energy strategy in the field of the renewable energy sources for the period till the year 2010 and its completion, till the year 2015, the conditions could be created to employ about 24,000 workers (4,000 for maintenance of the newly constructed plants, 17,000 for designing and manufacturing of plants, and 3,000 employed in auxiliary activities). (Source: “Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews”, Volume 14, Issue 1, January 2010, pages 550–553.)

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About AER: Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is the largest network of regions in wider Europe, gathering regions from 35 countries, working for a peaceful and prosperous Europe. We promote a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual Europe through the diversity of our members which we believe are at the core of European values. The strength of the organization lies in its reputation in the European circles gained from 30 years of constant dialogue with the highest European authorities, the active involvement of its politicians and the number of successful programs and projects which nurture the exchange of good (and bad!) practices among its regions. With its decentralized, flexible and bottom-up structure, AER is the independent voice of regions in Europe. The network promotes true ownership by its members encouraging any region willing to do so to lead on the topics, initiatives and actions of their choice.