Case Studies

Denmark

ECSMV Project - Central Denmark Region

The ECSMV project is a concrete example of an organized cross-municipal collaboration around the promotion of energy efficiency in SMEs in the Central Denmark Region. Supported by roundtables and enabling actions of RoundBaltic the ECSMV project has over the past four years managed to build a community around the green transition, which only became stronger the more stakeholders took an active part in the project, including municipalities, SMEs, local banks and advisors. The collaboration has been effective in terms of motivating the SMEs and resulted in green business models for 179 SMEs that allocated 30 MEUR private investments.

Thermonet Concept - East Denmark

Thermonet is a promising new collective heat form that is suitable of serving areas above a certain heating density and where conventional district heating.is not feasible. The intervention comprised meetings with 15 municipalities and energy utilities and 20 citizen meetings. This has been accompanied by a video and easy to understand handbook for villages (Gate21.dk/termonet) as well as an assessment tool (Thermonetcalc.eu). As result, 5 – 10 thermonet investment projects are under planning and the first energy utility has implemented a thermonet project.

Private Homes - Southern Denmark Region

The case study represents a unique approach of combining energy renovation with a conversion to green heat supply of private homes in the South Denmark Region. 7 out of 22 municipalities in the region committed to run one-stop-shops aiming to generate investments of 32 MEUR as an initiative called COHEAT. RoundBaltic has served facilitator of the initiative and engaged the financial sector in the one-stop-shop development.

Social Housing in Denmark

The case study comes across the entire RoundBaltic intervention in the Danish social housing sector. RoundBaltic has interacted with BL, the Danish Federation of Non-Profit Housing Providers, and the parallel H2020 project Super-i on boosting energy efficiency and other green investments. This has entailed introducing implementation concepts like ESCO and financial instruments to make green investments more dynamic that is being compiled in a holistic Green Model. Moreover, RoundBaltic has helped to develop road maps to lead a green transformation of the social housing sector in the South and East-Denmark regions.

Involvement of the Financial Sector in Denmark

An important element of RoundBaltic has been to engage the financial sector in energy efficiency finance. The Danish financial sector, led by Finance Denmark, introduced in year 2019 “Forum for Sustainable Finance” to pave way for the transformation. The financial sector is on right path with increasing volumes of sustainable finance and employees’ increased involvement. Via roundtables and enabling actions RoundBaltic has helped to clarify the roles of the stakeholders, not least when it comes to organisation of one-stop-shops, coupled with initiation of specific one-stop-shops to drive the development.

Poland

Deep Renovation of 24 Educational Buildings in the City of Zgierz

The case study describes the project which main goal was the search for financing the comprehensive thermal modernization of 24 educational buildings. By the decision of the Mayor of Zgierz, the possibility of financing the investment was analyzed. This included searching for the possibility of implementing the investment simultaneously in all 24 educational buildings. Decision was made to implement the investment by means of a public-private partnership model along with co-financing from the ERDF as part of the Integrated Territorial Investments ROP LV for 2014-2020, because only this ensured the implementation at all premises. The goal of Regional Operational Program for Lower Silesia voivodships is to increase competitiveness voivodships and improvement residents’ life conditions by implementation sustainable development rules.

Development of the Regional Operational Programme (DAEŚ)

The case study depicts DAEŚ together with the Office Marszałkowski taking part in working groups, during which providing opinions on the initial assumptions for activities under the European Funds for Lower Silesia program in the years 2021-2027 took place. In addition, consultations on the development of rules for support mechanisms under the funds of the regional operational program within the scope of energy efficiency were delivered. Discussion were carried out on important issues in the field of: Documents related to the negotiating position of the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship Self-Government to the draft Program Contract; Draft Partnership Agreement for the implementation of the cohesion policy 2021-2027 in Poland; Results of consultations on the project Diagnosis of the socio-economic situation in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship; The state of work on the perspective financial 2021-2027.

Energy modernization of 24 buildings of the Housing Cooperative Radogoszcz

The addressed energy efficiency investment is financed by the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Łódź (WFOŚiGW). The investment is carried out in stages in order to reduce investment costs by using partial loan redemption in accordance with the rules of the financing institution. The project is carried out cyclically. Annual work includes, among others preparatory work (at the beginning of the calendar year), including the selection of subsequent buildings for further thermal modernization, preparation of audit and design documentation, development of application documentation for funding from WFOŚiGW in Łódź and announcing a tender for construction works. Submission of an application for partial redemption of the loan to be used to finance the currently implemented investment as well as financial and material settlement of the completed investment. Finally, there was project management phase, including investor's supervision, project management and applicant's potential, promotion.

Mazovia One-stop-shop initiatives

The case study on the project, called “Masovia4EEWave” has received support from the EIB ELENA and started operation April 2023. The Agency provides services partly paid by the ELENA grant in the scopes elaborating of energy audits, preparing of feasible studies and technical assessments, technical designing of measures, cost estimating, applications for funding of investment cost and preparing of public procurement for implementation of projects. The project will trigger the investment in energy efficiency and RES in at least 100 public buildings in the Masovia Region in amount of 94M€ (80M€ in deep renovation of buildings, 11M€ in RES, 3M€ in introduction of energy management systems). Projects implemented in over 100 locations in the region are good examples to be followed by other municipalities. The project fits perfectly into the strategy of the European Green Deal updated with RePower EU.

Podlaskie SME project

The project provided services to entrepreneurs in the identification and financing of projects improving energy efficiency by 25% in company buildings and as a result of the use of control systems, installations enabling the recovery of thermal energy generated during industrial processes or during its production, improving the energy efficiency of technological systems, energy saving and reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and the use of energy-saving devices. The project has resulted in implementation of energy efficiency and RES projects in 140 SMEs that allocate 12 MEUR private and public investments. Implementation of these investments resulted in modernization of 90 SMEs buildings, construction of 59 PV plants, construction of 29 heating installations with use of RES and reduction of energy demand by 4 GWh/y.

Latvia

Diversifying central district heating in Salaspils

in Salaspils town is renewable. Inspired by the vast deployment of solar collectors in Denmark, Salaspils’ system was built in less than six months by Latvian and Danish companies working in close cooperation. Total project costs were EUR 7,08 million, to which EU Cohesion Fund co-financing contributed EUR 2,73 million. In addition to the EU funds, the SEB bank provided a EUR 2,8 million loan. The system includes 1720 solar panels, 8000 m3 accumulation tank and 3MW wood chip boiler house.

Support for energy efficiency in housing sector in Olaine

The case study represents Olaine as one of the front-runners in Latvia as very active supporter for multi-apartment housing renovation. With the support of the municipality 38 multi-apartment houses with 1787 apartments (managed by municipality owned companies) were renovated in the whole Olaine county. The total investment reached 18 690 658 EUR from which 50% were granted from EU funds, the total amount of CO2 emissions per year is 2575,13 tons which is 40% less than before renovation. The total heat energy savings per year is 6,856 MWh (spent heat energy before renovation was 118,3 kWh/m2 per year, after – the average is 52,98 kWh/m2 which is 55% saving).

RENOVE.LV – One stop shop (OSS) for energy efficiency in Riga

The case study describes the first OSS created in Latvia devoted to energy efficiency. Renove.lv as an energy efficiency information center provides informative support to residents of Riga on the way to renovation or renovation of multi-apartment buildings. Their main tasks are to help the residents of Riga is to learn all the details of building renovation, offer information on all support options, improve the quality of life and environment of Riga residents and reduce heat energy costs. In general, Renove.lv provides consultations, information campaigns, financial support options and available tools, resources and documentation.

Success story for housing renovation in Liepaja

The case study described Liepaja city as the leader in the whole country with implementing energy efficiency projects in multi-apartment housing. 178 out of 600 multiapartment houses have been renovated so far. With the support of the finance institution ALTUM 72 multi-apartment houses with 3923 apartments were renovated in Liepaja city between 2016 and 2023. The total investment reached 35 348 464 EUR from which 50% were granted from EU funds. The total amount of CO2 emissions per year is 5162,35 tons which is 40% less than before renovation with the total heat energy savings per year is 13,426 MWh. In addition, the average spent heat energy before renovation was 104,87 kWh/m2 per year, after renovation the average is 48,43 kWh/m2 which is 54% saving.

Pilot project in low temperature heating in public building in Alūksne

The case study concerns Aluksne county as a front-runner in Vidzeme planning region and linked to the region’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan 2021-2030 (SECAP) due to a goal of reducing energy spending in public buildings by 20% in 2030. This project was implemented as part of the Interreg “Low Temperature District Heating for the Baltic Sea Region” (LowTEMP) project, within an overall budget is 3.8 MEUR. Low-temperature heating system can be implemented in other public buildings and could also be developed on a district heating level, as an important component in achieving sustainable energy supply structures.