Peer learning around Europe: What happened during the 2nd ENERGee Watch learning course

With the 3rd learning cycle open for registration, we are looking into the site visits of the 2nd learning cycle, to offer a sneak peak into what you can expect.

After an online kick-off in April that helped establish learning goals and expectations, during the summer months the ENERGee Watch mentees learned and travelled to Cyprus, France, but also online. The interactive format and schedule of the site visits allowed and encouraged the exchange of best practices between the organisations represented. 

Course 1: Energy Data collection (acquisition and treatment)

The Slovenian Energy Agency of Savinjska, Šaleska and Koroška Region (KSSENA) was the only one to meet its mentees online, led by mentor Boštjan Krajnc,CEO, with the support of Živa Vovk.  

The course was dedicated to systematic, temporary and periodic collection of energy and climate data at the local level. As the collection of reliable and complete energy data often shows to be a difficult task, the course helped participants to learn how to establish an effective energy management system for the public sector, as well as how to identify sources and facilitate access to territorial aggregated, and non-identifying energy data.

There was space for discussion and interaction and several calculation tools for BEI were examined, such as the Climate protection planner (Germany), Ecospeed (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Luxemburg), and Bilan Carbone (France).

Course 2: Monitoring, Reporting, Verification: follow up on implementation of actions

With the cats of Nicosia witnessing the course developments, the Cyprus Energy Agency hosted in July animated discussions and open debates on SECAP’s topics of interest.

The mentors Savvas Vlachos, Charis Kordatos and Myrto Skouroupathi offered the necessary tools for mentees to follow the key actions needed to ensure political and administrative support for the successful implementation of a SECAP, then plan and monitor the progress and the impact of their actions.

The participants learned how to perform an energy data verification process, establish the methodologies needed to improve data quality, develop energy modelling and elaborate future scenarios, understand the key financial indicators, visualise sustainable energy project ideas on Sustainable Business Model Canvas, and elaborate feasibility and environmental analysis for energy projects.

Course 3: Indicators and strategies on adaptation to Climate Change

Meeting in Paris, the mentees were guided through the alphabet of climate change adaptation and assessment by their mentors Sandra Garrigou, Marie-Laure Falque Masset and Franziska Barnhusen from AREC-IDF Energy & Climate Agency.

The participants were guided in building their own roadmap to ensure that adaptation to climate change is fully integrated into energy-climate action plans. In addition to the contribution of knowledge, particular attention was paid to interaction and taking advantage of feedback from actors involved in this field.

Course 4: Data display, dissemination and validation by local authorities

AURA-EE Energy Agency invited their mentees to Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its traboules (secret covered passageways), but also as the largest urban redevelopment area in France, with ambitious climate neutrality targets.

Through the moderation of their mentor Thomas Knight, by the end of the agenda the participants were all able to better appreciate the role that data can play in making decisions, when you know your audience and their ultimate needs.

The online visualisation tool TerriSTORY® served the team as support for concrete exemplification and exercise. The mentees recognised how data visualisation can be a persuasive tool and learned how to manipulate it to suit different representation styles, understanding the different data dissemination and display options available. 

Could your city, region, or energy agency benefit from participating in the ENERGee Watch programme?

The registrations are currently open (read more here) for a last cycle of the peer learning programme in Brussels 15-16 November 2022, free of cost under the Horizon 2020 scheme.

Apply through the official form: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/EEW-LC3