596 Result(s)
Refine Search
Loading
Energy efficiency improvement of apartment buildings. The decision to do this is made by the association or community of apartment owners of a particular apartment building. The complex financial instrument – the grant, loan by ALTUM, and guarantee for a loan issued by the commercial institution – is provided by the Latvian state-owned development finance institution ALTUM (ERDF co-financing). Residents get modern insulated houses, which significantly reduces energy consumption. It is complemented by the state information programme “Let’s live warmer” (“Dzīvo siltāk”).…
The aim of the association is to promote the development of sustainable, emission-free transport that expands mobility. To achieve this goal, the association informs the public about the advantages and limitations of sustainable transport; promotes zero-emission mobility solutions; promotes the production of energy-efficient zero-emission vehicles in Latvia; co-operates with the state, local governments and NGOs, companies and other institutions in Latvia and abroad to support the availability of new mobility opportunities for the residents of Latvia; and undertakes other activities. The association attracts financial, material, intellectual and other resources to achieve its aims. The assoc…
The annual contest is organized in five categories – (1) renovated multi-apartment building, (2) new multi-apartment building, (3) single-family building, (4) public building, and (5) industrial building (2021 nominations). The contest aims to promote good practice in the field of energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings through the energy-efficient construction, renovation and refurbishment of buildings, thus reducing GHG emissions, raising public awareness of the sustainability of buildings and creating a high-quality architecturally expressive living space. Details about the objects or buildings can be submitted to the contest by a natural or legal person (e.g., building owners, …
Electric vehicles have started penetrating Latvia households. In 2021, electric vehicles accounted for 4.35% of the total market for new vehicles. A country-wide fast charging stations network (141 stations) is in place already. To promote electric vehicles in households, a new state budget financed by revenues from the Emissions Allowances Auctioning Instrument support programme for the years 2022 and 2023 was adopted in December 2021. The case presents this programme from the perspective of individual households. The amount of the grant is differentiated as follows: (1) for the purchase of a new BEV – 4,500 EUR, (2) for the purchase of exploited BEV and new PHEV – 2,250 EUR. In addition, 1…
The project “The Language of the Climate” elaborated school programmes of interdisciplinary practical work in geography and science lessons considering climate change as well as the inclusion of these materials into professional education programmes for teachers. The book “Climate education at school. Practical Advice” was developed. The campaign was organized for school children and included experiments (practical work) as informal education measures with the elaboration and publication of corresponding video materials on the internet, inviting young people to explore natural processes independently. The promotion of the move towards a low-carbon economy was one of the aims of the project. …
The EU (Interreg VB Baltic region programme) co-financed projects Co2mmunity & Energize Co2mmunity supported the development and real-life implementation of renewable community energy pilot projects in the Baltic Sea region. The presented case of community energy is one of two pilots implemented in Latvia. These pilots have been implemented on the scale of apartment buildings. The presented pilot project has been implemented in a multi-apartment (18-apartment) building and, for the first time in Latvia for apartment buildings, involved installing both joint rooftop solar heating panels (for the pre-heating of hot water for the needs of all residents of the house) and solar PV panels (the pro…
The first protest group of such a scale in Latvia, in which a large number of participants joined. This initiative involved group protests against the construction of a large-scale wind park (around 50 turbines of ~ 4MW each, height of turbine around 240 metres including rotor) in the western part of the Zemgale region. The protest group was well self-organized and capable of implementing diverse protest activities at municipal and regional scales. The activities of the protest group were one of the key reasons why local self-governments decided not to support the construction of the wind park even after a partially positive decision (involving reducing the number of turbines and correcting …
Energy Groups - schoolchildren accompanied by teachers – learnt good practices in the use of energy/energy resources. They explored the importance and benefits of an energy-efficient lifestyle through practical examples and activities, studying everyday relationships with energy use and performing focused experiments. The participants of the activity were schoolchildren, teachers and their family members. To provide the practical learning process, schools were equipped with energy efficiency equipment, which allowed school staff and children to draw conclusions about the consumption of energy for lighting, heating, and other purposes. In addition, exploratory tours have been organized, as we…
The Arctic Circle is an organization whose mission is to facilitate dialogue among political and business leaders, environmental experts, scientists, indigenous representatives, and other international stakeholders to address issues facing the Arctic as a result of climate change and melting sea ice.…
The Aran Islands Energy Co-operative is a community-owned energy cooperative on the Aran Islands at the mouth of Galway Bay. Through the cooperative, the residents of the three islands aim to become self-sufficient in clean, locally owned energy and to build the local economy of the islands using the benefits that accrue from this. The main activities are related to energy efficiency and retrofitting of houses, renewable energy generation, electrification of mobility, and participation in research projects.…
The Cloughjordan Ecovillage is an eco-village community on a 67-acre site in the Irish Midlands committed to ecological, social and economic sustainability as well as communal, carbon-neutral and self-sufficient living. The first residents moved into what are now 55 low-carbon homes in 2009, built using natural construction techniques and applying high energy efficiency standards, supplied by a district heating system that burns wood waste from a nearby sawmill and provides low-carbon heating and hot water. Furthermore, the village has a working farm, an array of polytunnels and a bakery providing the community with food year-round.…
Green Energy Community (GECO) is a community management project that aims to reduce the distance between energy production and consumption, involving local inhabitants, businesses, and industry to increase the generation and self-consumption of renewable energy in the Pilastro-Roveri area (Bologna, Italy) and alleviate energy poverty. In the wake of the recent legislative changes approved as part of the Clean Energy Package (CEP) at the European level, GECO aims to stimulate the development of the national regulatory framework, providing support to national stakeholders (ARERA, GSE, RSE, Terna) for the creation of new energy sector regulation in Italy. GECO believes that there will be no ene…
Energy efficiency improvements in apartment buildings can be complemented by the installation of local RES technologies. However, the decision to do this has to be made by the association or community of apartment owners of a particular apartment building. The complex financial instrument (the grant, loan by ALTUM and guarantee for loan issued by commercial institution) is provided by the Latvian state-owned development finance institution ALTUM (ERDF co-financing). However, only a few apartment buildings have used this additional option to install zero-emission solar heat panels. One such case is presented.…
Uzlādēts.lv is the only medium in Latvia that focuses only on zero-emission vehicles and climate change, providing current news about electric cars, e-mobility, zero waste, ecohouses, green energy, and renewable energy resources, among other things. Uzlādēts.lv was created in 2018 to prevent the spread of misinformation and myths in the Latvian media environment about topics such as renewable energy resources, electric cars, energy storage, and zero-waste thinking. The goal is to become a source of news information that can be relied on.…
Established in 1988, Energy Action is Ireland’s first community-based energy project for addressing the problem of fuel poverty in Dublin. Energy Action has insulated 35,000 homes since its inception and has also supported several community-based organisations in other parts of the country through pilot schemes to develop their own capacity to tackle fuel poverty. The service is provided through the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland.…
The Climate Conversations 2021 were a series of consultation events established by the Irish Government's Department of Environment, Climate and Communications as part of the National Dialogue on Climate Action. Through the Climate Conversations, the people of Ireland were invited to provide their views on how Ireland could be transformed and how individuals and communities could be supported to take their own positive climate actions. The consultations sought to inform the formulation of the Climate Action Plan 2021, the government’s annual plan that sets out how Ireland will meet its climate commitments and reach EU and international climate targets. The Conversations consisted of four int…
"Our Energy Future" is a three-year collaborative project between EirGrid, Friends of the Earth, and the Renewable Grid Initiative to engage the public in light of Ireland's ambitious commitment to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity supply to up to 80% by 2030, which will require a comprehensive energy transition. Aiming to develop an inclusive vision for Ireland's energy future, the project will foster diverse and open dialogues with communities, civil society organizations, local groups and other stakeholders, raise awareness and build capacity, and engage with the Irish Government and in relevant energy policy processes.…
The Centre for Solar Communities is a private non-profit association founded in 2015 as a spin-off of a project at Bologna University, with the task of studying and developing useful tools to accompany families in the energy transition towards a solar world that is powered by renewable energy. They mainly work to: 1. Teach people how to switch energy suppliers, do home energy planning, and renovate a house or buy an electric car; 2. Develop and optimize the tools necessary for the energy transition in relation to the needs of families; 3. Build Solar Cities that respect the environment and humanity through the management of resources and circularity; and 4. Teach how well-being can be expres…
Scandiano energy community is a pilot energy community and collective self-consumption project that targets social housing. It was launched in 2022 in northern Italy (Emilia-Romagna region). It consists of a 60 kW PV system with a 115-kWh storage system, coupled with an electric vehicle fleet and consumption monitoring, implemented in a 48-apartment community. Twenty apartments are privately owned; the municipality owns the other 28. The project was facilitated by the entry into force of the new regulation on renewable energy communities in 2020.…
Reddito energetico is a renewable public support scheme implemented by Italian regions thanks to a nationwide initiative that provides 200 million euros in financing. Funds are made available for regions to purchase or support the purchase of renewable installations for vulnerable households (defined according to an income threshold) through capital grants or guarantees. The families then start self-consuming the energy that is produced while the surplus is sold to the grid. Income from electricity sales goes into the revolving fund operated by the region or the municipality and will serve to finance additional PV installations. Implementation slightly differs in different regions. The case …