View source for Association Municipal Energy Efficiency Network EcoEnergy


The Municipal Energy Efficiency Network EcoEnergy is an association of Bulgarian municipalities for mutual help and joint actions in formation of local policies for effective usage of traditional and alternative energy resources and for insurance of energy security and possibilities for sustainable development of the municipalities.
EcoEnergy was established in February 1997 at the initiative of the mayors of 23 municipalities and was officially registered in the end of 2003 as Association of Municipalities. EcoEnergy aims to support the efforts of the central and local authorities for attainment of sustainable development of the country. 
The Network has three strategic objectives: 
* to raise energy efficiency awareness in member municipalities; 
* to create conditions for diminishing the burden of energy costs on municipal budgets; 
* to reduce the energy costs incurred by individual end-users in municipalities.


EcoEnergy collaborates with governmental and other institutions and private sector for achieving its goals and creating better regulatory conditions for Bulgarian municipalities. 
The main directions in EcoEnergy activities are: 

I. Recognition of the Local energy planning and management as a main instrument of the Municipal energy policy

II. Training of local authorities and energy managers

III. Information dissemination

IV. Organizational development of the network


Since 2005 EcoEnergy implemented successfully four international projects:
1. “The Role of Municipality in Climate Change Mitigation - Awareness Raising Campaign” financed by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

2. “Redirecting Urban areas development towards Sustainable Energy – RUSE” financed by INTERREG 3C 

3. “Innovative Thinking” financed through the Intelligent Energy for Europe Programme

4. “Management of Domains Related to Energy in Local Authorities – MODEL” financed through the Intelligent Energy for Europe Programme. MODEL project helped to 42 municipalities from eight new member-states and candidates to become models for both the citizens and the other European municipalities through (1) support to the municipalities in the planning, implementation and valuation of the activities for energy efficiency improvement in the municipalities while focusing on the whole management process; (2) broaden the practical knowledges and skills of the municipalities and networks of municipalities and (3) preparing of the ground for development of sustainable energy communities.


Since 2009 EcoEnergy is a supporting structure of the Covenant of Mayors and currently is a partner of two projects financed by the Intelligent Energy for Europe Programme and supporting the initiative: “Networking the Covenant of Mayors – NET-COM” and “Capacity building of local governments to advance Local Climate and Energy Action – from planning to action to monitoring –
Covenant capaCITY”.
EcoEnergy has supported many projects dedicated to the implementation of NZEB and the introduction of the passive house concept, including the projects PassREg, EuroPHit, BUILD UP Skills Bulgaria, etc. 


More information:

For more information please visit EcoEnergy website: [http://www.ecoenergy-bg.net www.ecoenergy-bg.net]

[[category:Cogeneration]]
[[category:Communication strategy]]
[[category:Awareness raising]]
[[category:Renewable energy]]
[[category:Bulgaria]]
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