Dear Colleague,
In their work to reduce energy consumption of stock, housing providers are coming across questions and doubts related to issues ranging from access to finance to the optimal renewable energy source to use in their local contexts. In response, POWER HOUSE EUROPE has been initiated to facilitate networking and the sharing of success stories and lessons learned.
This CECODHAS - Housing Europe led initiative which is supported by the Intelligent Energy-Europe programme now has an official on-line home at www.powerhouseeurope.eu. The new site provides space for organisations to upload case studies (some have already started), and an on-line forum to allow them to get in touch directly with others or to share views. There is also a selection of tools, guidebooks, technical reports and effective policies aimed at helping organizations to develop their energy strategy in the resource section of the site.
Visit the website to see from yourself and take part in our technical and political discussions in our on-line forum!
The POWER HOUSE EUROPE Team
Leading the Energy Transition through POWER HOUSE EUROPE - Housing Providers meet for strategy exchange
POWER HOUSE Platforms are strategic forums led by CECODHAS - Housing Europe members to speed up the energy transition, particularly in the field of energy refurbishment of existing housing stock. The platforms facilitate much-needed collaboration between key actors from across the building chain. To date, platforms have been established in Bulgaria, England, Estonia, Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Wallonia.
Coordinators of the initiative met in March this year in Barcelona to report progress on the challenges and successes at national level and to achieve cross fertilization ie. to get ideas from what worked in other countries or regions to apply in their own.
One striking common issue which has become evident is the interest throughout Europe in sharing experience in all areas of the energy refurbishment and renewables field, along with the need for neutral information on new techniques and technologies.
Join in our new forum discussions!
POWER HOUSE EUROPE website hosts an interactive forum for information and knowledge exchange between professionals and policy makers in the social housing sector.
Visit the forum to contribute to our discussion on:
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for energy efficiency in housing,
- district heating,
- and pay-back of investment.
Registration is easy, free of charge and requires only a valid email address...join us!
Watch our 10 minute video presenting views on Energy Efficiency in Housing from key actors in EU policy circles
"No country in Europe can afford to sit back and say we’ve got this sorted" said David Orr - CECODHAS - Housing Europe president, on the occasion of a recent interview on energy efficiency in housing.
Click HERE to watch the full interview and hear from practitioners and key figures in the EU policy-making community on why investment in environmental sustainability in housing means that everybody wins.
(Excerpt from video produced by Norwegian State Housing Bank, Husbanken and Snöball Films).
Investment in skill development and knowledge: the key to sustainable development
Invest in skill development and knowledge is the key to sustainable development says President of Reggio Emilia public social housing organization, Marco Corradi.
Q. What is ACER Reggio Emilia and how much stock does it manage?
ACER Reggio Emilia is a public company providing social housing. It is owned by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. It manages about 4.800 homes and it provides engineering services for non-residential public buildings including school and gyms.
Q. How has ACER Reggio Emilia shown its commitment to environmental sustainability?
Reggio Emilia has increased its technical capacity in the field of sustainability by employing 25 technicians. They work on projects ranging from building maintenance to urban regeneration. Ensuring social, economic and environmental sustainability are the main objectives of ACER’s planning. Central to that are energy efficiency, the use of renewable resources and attention to water management. Research in partnership with Universities for energy efficiency of buildings is a fundamental part of the strategy.
Click HERE to read the full interview with Marco Corradi, President of ACER Reggio Emilia.
Forthcoming Events: Save the dates!
4th May 2010, European Parliament, Brussels
Financial institutions and EU cohesion funds: agents or obstacles of the energy transition in Europe’s housing? This conference “Financing energy efficiency in Housing: a European Priority” will take stock of the extent to which EU cohesion funds are already being employed to fund energy efficiency in housing and will be an opportunity for representatives of national and European financial institutions to present how they are adapting their products and services to help local actors address this challenge. Experiences of end users of these funds will also be presented and Daniel Cohn-Bendit will place these developments in the context of the European Parliament’s Green group’s “Green New Deal”.
Click HERE to find out more information on the event.
18th May 2010, Brescia, Italy
The conference “Living the future: Housing, sustainable cities and EU Cohesion Policy after 2013” will take place as part of the CECODHAS-Housing Europe General Assembly Meetings. Be part of the discussion on how the EU (in particular the EU Cohesion Policy) can help to develop smart, resource-efficient and inclusive cities and neighbourhoods, and why affordable housing is a piece of the puzzle!
Click HERE to find out more information on the event.
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The sole responsibility for the content of this Newsletter lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission is responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
For further information, please visit www.powerhouseeurope.eu