Category:Eneffect

EnEffect Group

EnEffect Group organizational structure

EnEffect Group represents a civil alliance, founded according to the Bulgarian Obligations and Contracts Act by three well-established organizations – Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect, EnEffect Consult and EnEffect Design. EnEffect Group is a separate and independent civil entity, which effectively combines the capacities and resources of its three divisions and provides enhanced exploration of synergies between their diversified expertise and knowledge. The leading party in the alliance - Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect - is a non-profit NGO, founded in 1992 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Its establishment has been called forth by the acute need of energy conservation in households, industry, transport, construction, agriculture and in the energy sector. By its intensive involvement in activities to improve energy efficiency, EnEffect supports the efforts of the Bulgarian central and local authorities and the private sector actors for sustainable energy development. EnEffect was created with the initial financial support of Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA, in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Energy and the US Agency for International Development. The projects that EnEffect has been working on over the years have been funded by US, European, Japanese, international and Bulgarian organizations. The US Agency for International Development, the European Commission, the United Nations, the Global Environment Facility, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, and the Regional Environmental Center have supported the implementation of the most significant EnEffect’s projects. The Centre for Energy Efficiency EnEffect has two specialized business subsidiaries:

• EnEffect Consult Ltd. is a subsidiary licensed to perform energy audits of buildings according to the covenants of the Energy Efficiency Act. It provides services in the field of energy efficiency in the country and abroad.
• EnEffect Design Ltd. is a subsidiary for integrated investment design in the field of urban construction and low energy and passive buildings.

Currently, EnEffect is acting as the Secretariat of the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Network EcoEnergy providing for policy and technical support to the regional and local authorities to implement sustainable energy policies and practices. As part of the EEE international consortium (Econoler International-EnEffect-Elana), EnEffect manages the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency and Renewable Sources Fund, supported by the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank and the Bulgarian Government.

Objectives

EnEffect Group’s principal objectives are to:

• Contribute to the development of sustainable energy efficiency policy at all governance levels in Bulgaria to achieve economic and environmental benefits for the country.
• Contribute to the formation of energy efficiency market in Bulgaria and in other countries in transition as a prerequisite for the identification, development and implementation of economically viable energy efficiency projects.
• Contribute to the process of institutional and human capacity building through exchange of information and experience, targeted training and education.

Expertise and activities

Major EnEffect Group’s activities and expertise are closely tied with its principle objectives:

Energy efficiency in buildings

Books on green architecture by EnEffect

Series of projects for energy efficiency in buildings have been implemented since the creation of the organization. Most of them are focused on building of local capacity of building specialists (designers, builders, managers, financiers, etc.) but also on increasing occupants’ awareness and influencing their behavior. A series of unique training materials on the integrated design and construction of low and nearly 0‐energy buildings have been developed, issued and disseminated. High level training of lead design practices in Bulgaria was performed in cooperation with the Passive House institute in Darmstadt (Germany) and the School of Architecture at the University College of Dublin (Ireland). Since the year 2011 an Internet portal “Build In Green” (www.buildingreen.net) and a series of printed editions were opened to public. The printed editions were issued under the auspices of GEF/UNDP and consist of the following issues:

• “Ten Books About Green Architecture” (4 volumes of 623 pages and 834 colour illustrations in total);
• “99 Successful Practices” (168 pages and 486 colour illustrations);
• “Green Vitrivius” (160 pages and 173 colour illustrations);
• “Municipal Energy Planning. Guide for municipal managers and specialists” (88 pages and 48 illustrations). Issued first in English and then translated in more than 10 European languages for use in about 15 countries in the region.

In the period 2011 - 2013, EnEffect was coordinator of the successfully concluded BUILD UP Skills Bulgaria project (www.buildupskillsbg.com), leading a consortium with the participation of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber and the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training within the BUILD UP Skills initiative of the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. Since 2012, EnEffect is taking major part in two IEE-financed projects coordinated by Passive House Institute: Passive House Regions with Renewable Energy (PassREg) and Improving of energy performance of step-by-step refurbishment (EuroPHit).

Technical assistance and consultancy

Various types of technical assistance and consultancy services are being provided to local authorities, industrial enterprises and other public and private clients, where EnEffect Consult is acting also as licensed energy auditor. Above 60 energy audits have been performed in Bulgaria with the use of specialized modeling software, developed with EnEffect’s direct impact. Technical assistance has been provided to Macedonian cities to audit a series of buildings, thus preparing their applications for financial support from the World Bank. High energy performance building design is being developed for various clients by a newly established design team, focused on low‐energy and passive building design standards. Currently, consultancy services are being provided to Ukrainian RTC and to local authorities for the development of their Municipal Energy Programmes.

Sustainable energy efficiency policy

Series of studies on the barriers to the implementation of energy efficiency projects with recommendations to competent authorities have been performed. More than 60 energy programs for Bulgarian municipalities have been developed on the basis of the internationally recognized EnEffect’s methodology for municipal energy planning (MEP). A series of international projects for building local capacity on MEP have been and are being currently under implementation in many countries in transition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. At the moment, 35 Ukrainian cities are developing their local energy programmes under EnEffect’s guidance and on the base of its MEP methodology in the framework of the USAID funded project “Municipal Heating Reform” Similar projects are ongoing in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova (USAID and EU funded projects).

Institutional and human capacity building

Capacity building activities are based on a wide scale networking on various management and territorial levels, where EnEffect plays critical roles. A series of training guides and programmes, as well as a Virtual Training and Information Center on sustainable building design have been developed and published by EnEffect. Tens of training courses have been carried out on municipal energy planning, energy efficiency project development, business planning and financing of projects and low energy building design and construction, where hundreds of specialists have been trained and certified in Bulgaria, in most of the new EU member states, as well as in Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Kirgizstan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Georgia. Within the above quoted USAID project in Ukraine (“Municipal Heating Reform”) a detailed training of local trainers from 5 Regional Training Centers (RTC) have been trained by EnEffect to ensure sustainability of the capacity building process in the country. Tools for distance learning (via Internet based tools) in municipal energy planning and low‐energy building design and construction are currently under development.

Project financing

Alternative schemes and mechanisms for financing of energy efficiency projects have been studied, developed and recommended in the frames of international projects, incl. regular bank loans, guarantee schemes, flexible Kyoto mechanisms, third party financing (ESCO schemes), leasing, public‐private partnership, etc. Under the assignment of the World Bank, financial analyses have been carried out for the initial design of the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Fund (BEEF). Currently, practical impact to energy efficiency project financing is being provided through the co‐management of the BEEF, after its establishment by the Global Environment Facility/World Bank and the Bulgarian government (as part of the EEE consortium – Econoler, EnEffect, Elana). Currently, EnEffect is actively involved in the UNECE managed project “Financing Energy Efficiency Investments for Climate Change Mitigation”, through which a new international fund for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources is being established.

Formation of energy efficiency market

Numerous energy efficiency investment projects (incl. pilot and demonstration ones) have been identified and developed in cooperation within the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Network EcoEnergy, the Bulgarian Industrial Chamber and other partners. Special attention has been paid for the identification of projects for “joint implementation”, as well as for RES projects. Technical assistance is being provided for the development of business plans for energy efficiency projects of various types designed for commercial (bank) financing.

National and international networking

EnEffect is a part of a network of energy efficiency centers which includes the Polish Energy Efficiency Foundation (FEWE), the Czech Centre for Energy Efficiency (SEVEn) in Prague, the Russian Centre for Energy Efficiency (CENEf) in Moscow, the Chinese Centre for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources (BECon) in Beijing and the Centre for Energy Efficiency of Ukraine (ArenaECO) in Kiev. EnEffect is Secretariat of the Bulgarian Municipal Energy Efficiency Network EcoEnergy since its establishment in 1997. EcoEnergy is a member of the European network "Energy Cities" and is an active partner in its activities, including joint implementation of several projects financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. Since 1999 EnEffect, jointly with the Black Sea Regional Energy Center, coordinates the activities of the Regional Network for Efficient Use of Energy and Water Resources for Southeast Europe (RENEUER), which includes: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro. Since the establishment of the network it has been supported by the UN ECE project Energy Efficiency 21, the US AID regional project MUNEE, the French and the local governments of the participating countries, as well as by various organizations from the Netherlands, Norway, Czech Republic, etc. EnEffect is an active partner of the Municipal Network for Energy Efficiency (MUNEE) whose members are organizations from Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Since 2005 EnEffect in consortium with the Canadian energy efficiency consultancy company "Econoler International" and the non-banking financial institution "Elana Holding" PLC manages the Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Fund.

Promotion and information dissemination

To support capacity building activities and to provide public visibility of its activities EnEffect has developed and maintains several websites, such as its own website (www.eneffect.bg) and the websites of EcoEnergy (www.ecoenergy-bg.net), RENEUER (www.reneuer.com), MUNEE (www.munee.org), the Information clearing-house ”Partnership for Energy Efficiency” (www.ee-partner.bg), as well as the internet sites of European projects or their Bulgarian versions, incl. the one of the EE21 programme (www.ee-21.net) and the FEEI project (www.feei.info). Recently, a new Internet portal “Build In Green” (www.builingreen.net) was opened to provide for basic information to various key players in the building sector in the field of low‐ and 0‐energy building design and construction.

Major partners

EnEffect works in close collaboration with Bulgarian state bodies responsible for the energy conservation policies of the country, with Bulgarian local authorities, research and educational centers and NGOs, such as: the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Ministry of Economy and Energy, the Agency for Sustainable Energy Development (former Energy Efficiency Agency), the Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Investment Planning, the Committee of Standardization and Metrology, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Technical Universities of Sofia and Gabrovo, the University of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy in Sofia, the National Association of Municipalities of the Republic of Bulgaria, the US Association of Energy Engineers, etc. Major international partners and/or sponsors from abroad are/have been: UNDP and the Global Environment Facility, The World Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (Geneva), the US Agency for International Development (Washington, D.C./Sofia), the European Commission/DG TREN and ENVI, Battelle Memorial Institute/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (USA), the European Association "Energy Cities" (Besancon, France), the Regional Environmental Center (Budapest), the Energy Saving International - ENSI (Norway), Alliance to Save Energy (USA), Electrotek Concepts, Inc. (USA), and the US Association of Energy Engineers (life member), the Dutch Agency for Energy and Environment (SENTER Novem), ENEA, ISIS and ANIE (Italy), etc.