The project is co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg Europe programme
MonitorEE - Improving energy efficiency through smarter management systems
About the project
The European building sector faces challenges in achieving energy sustainability. The “Renovation Wave” Strategy, part of the European Green Deal, aims to double the annual energy renovation rate by 2030.
However, barriers remain, including a lack of expertise, high construction and energy costs, limited financial options, and slow administrative procedures. These delays hinder the roadmap´s target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050.
Regional and local authorities play a vital role, but there is still work to be done. Monitoring investments and analysing real savings compared to projections is crucial for optimising public funds.
For buildings to become sustainable, the cooperation of all stakeholders involved is a prerequisite. By overcoming the existing challenges, buildings will become more energy efficient thus reducing the negative impact on the environment, which will also provide economic savings.
MonitorEE includes 6 partner countries: Spain, Romania, France, Finland, Poland, and Croatia.
The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund is the project implementing authority in Croatia, while the Spanish partner is the leader of the entire project team.
What will this project change
The main objective of MonitorEE is to improve the policies that enable the reduction of amount of energy consumed by buildings, and not only using RES instead of conventional energy sources.
These investments are significant, and savings are based on simulations. MonitorEE partners will work on monitoring energy efficiency investments. This will allow them insight into possibilities to improve the management of processes to achieve higher reductions in GHG emissions and other associated benefits.
Objective of the project for Croatia
The exchange of knowledge and experience among the Member States, through the best examples of implemented EE projects and the development of the Action Plan, will also provide Croatia with an insight into the mechanisms for achieving greater energy efficiency, among other things, by using smarter management systems. Participation in the MonitorEE project will also contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the EU cohesion policy. Through the transition to a greener, carbon-neutral economy, Croatia wants to encourage the development of a digital society, increase its competitiveness, and fight energy poverty as well. The main objective of the project is to improve the legislative framework (programmes, laws, regulations) related to energy efficiency and performance in buildings, and to influence the strategic document "Long-Term Strategy for the Renovation of the National Building Stock until 2050".
The goal is envisaged to be achieved through three steps:
- analysis of energy consumption and patterns in target buildings, with special reference to energy from fossil fuels;
- simulate theoretical demand after the implementation of energy retrofits, comparing different measures to ensure better energy efficiency, and
- monitoring of energy consumption and GHG emissions after installation of retrofit.
This time, the Fund is planning to include the following stakeholders in this project: Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP), Ministry of Physical Planning. Construction and State Assets, Ministry of Reginal Development and EU Funds, Agency for Legal Transactions and Real Estate Brokerage (APN), Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK), Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency (HERA), HEP ESCO d.o.o., Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb, and others interested institutions, associations, and the private sector.
More information about the MonitorEE project: https://www.interregeurope.eu/monitoree
So far, the following project activities have been carried:
- Online kick-off meeting
- Online workshops on the implementation of the Interreg Europe projects
- Consultations with interested stakeholders
- The first interregional meeting of project partners
- Meeting with APN regarding the monitoring of project results through the Energy Management Information System (ISGE), an application for monitoring and analysis of energy and water consumption in public sector buildings
- Online follow-up meeting regarding the development of a 6-month report and MonitorEE visibility includes 6 partner countries: Spain, Romania, France, Finland, Poland and Croatia.