PLAN4COLD

The PLAN4COLD project “Supporting South Europe municipalities in the definition of Sustainable Local Heating and Cooling Plans” is developed in the context of European legislation that aims to promote sustainable energy transition, with particular reference to the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). These directives set ambitious goals to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable sources in the heating and cooling sector, with the direct involvement of medium-sized municipalities, such as Ragusa, Vittoria and Modica.

In particular Plan4COLD aims at supporting South European municipalities to cope with article 25º of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) transposition, dealing with the obligation for municipalities with more than 45.000 inhabitants to prepare local heating and cooling plans.These plans must promote energy efficiency and the integration of renewable energy, and include a comprehensive assessment of heating and cooling systems based on climate, economic and technical feasibility factors, taking into account that the demand for cooling is increasing and is expected to increase in the coming decades. Member States are required to support local authorities in implementing these measures, through guidelines that allow for a sustainable and effective approach.

Transition to a heating and cooling-smart society is not just a technology issue. The implementation of new models and technologies for sustainable heating and cooling will require addressing political, legal and social barriers to their adoption. The involvement of an increasing number of actors creates socio-economic and financial complexity but is necessary to assure the involvement of all the stakeholders needed for the transition process to be successful.

Specific Objectives are the following:

1. Support Southern Europe municipalities to develop Local Cooling and Heating Plans that address their specific climate, infrastructural, economic and social contexts.
2. Guarantee the alignment of the Local Cooling and Heating Plans with the national plans and strategies and the targets and supporting instruments identified in these
3. Develop supporting resources for municipalities to be able to define, implement and monitor Local Cooling and Heating Plans (accessing exiting materials that can be adopted and adapted to the specificities of Southern Europe municipalities)
4. Prepare and deliver/organize capacity building activities to policy-makers/public officers, especially those responsible for the development of planning and implementing sustainable energy actions.
5. Monitor, exchange and evaluate on the features, benefits and drawbacks of the approach adopted by Plan for Cold
6. To actively engage key stakeholders in the project through a dynamic Heating and Cooling Community that can discuss the needs, challenges and opportunities in the municipalities and support the consideration of their specificities in the Local Cooling and Heating Plans
7. Providing the EC and MS with a set of resources and tools to support municipalities in their endeavors to develop Local Cooling and Heating Plans, fostering the replication of the most successful activities at an EU scale.

Activity:

Pilot actions will focus on the development of:

– Guidelines for the development of Local Sustainable Cooling and Heating Plans (considering synergies and impact with key sectors such as the electricity grid, energy communities and the mobility sector)

– Resources and tools for local cooling and heating planning, adapted to the context of Southern European cities.

– Development of expertise on how to implement the methodology for the realisation of Local Sustainable Cooling and Heating Plans (using tools such as IES and others).

SVI.MED. will support the Municipalities of Ragusa, Vittoria and Modica, in the development of Local Plans for heating and cooling, taking into account the principle of energy efficiency first and supporting all efforts to reduce energy needs and consumption and to support the adoption of the most efficient technologies available.

PARTNER

1. Adene – Portogallo (PT) – CAPOFILA
2. Ambiente Italia (IT)
3. CRES – Grecia (EL)
4. FEDARENE –  (BE)
5. INOVA PLUS- INNOVATION SERVICES SA – Portogallo (PT)
6. Centro EuroMediterraneo per lo Sviluppo sostenibile – SVIMED ETS – Italia (IT)
7. R2M SOLUTION SRL – Italia (IT)
8. APE FVG (Agenzia Regionale Friuli Venezia Giulia) – Italia (IT)
9. Climate Alliance – Gernany (DE)
10. AREAM – Madeira’s Regional Energy and Environmental Agency – Portogallo (PT)
11. RDFC – Regional Development Fund of CRETE – GREECE (EL)
12. RDFCM – Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia – GREECE (EL)
13. FUNDACION ASTURIANA DE LA ENERGIA – Spagna (ES)
14. REGIONALNA ENERGETSKA AGENCIJA KVARNER – Croazia (HR)
15. AGENCIA DE ENERGIA E AMBIENTE DA ARRABIDA – Portogallo (PT)

ASSOCIATED ARTNER IN SICILY

1. Comune di RAGUSA – IT
2. Comune di VITTORIA – IT
3. Comune di MODICA – IT
4. LIBERO CONSORZIO COMUNALE – RAGUSA
5. CERSU – Centro Regionale Studi Urbanistici della SICILIA
6. ANCE – Associazione Nazionale Costruttori Edili – RAGUSA
7. SICINDUSTRIA – Associazione Industriali della provincia di RAGUSA

Contatti:

Barbara Sarnari, project coordinator