First time award to a Belgian energy retrofit project won by RenoWatt - project facilitated by eeef’s European Commission TA Facility

Liège (Belgium) – RenoWatt, carrying out energy retrofit of public buildings in the Liège province, wins the ‘Best Energy Project 2017’ award. It was attributed by the European Commission and the Berliner Energie Agentur in Berlin (Germany), for targeting climate change and the specific needs of participating public authorities.
 
RenoWatt is an initiative of the Groupement de Redéploiement Economique Liège (GRE-Liège) launched in November 2014. GRE-Liège, representing initially ten public authorities located in the province of Liege (before they were joined by new municipalities), received Technical Assistance (TA) funds from eeef’s European Commission TA Facility to enhance energy efficiency by pooling smaller projects, thereby removing technical, administrative and financial barriers that hinder public institutions to implement green investment programmes. This TA project aimed at developing the launch of both light and deep retrofit projects through EPC models for public buildings, such as schools, administrative buildings and historic sites, as well as the upgrade of street lighting systems belonging to the different public authorities. RenoWatt, a one-stop-shop, provided technical, legal and financial expertise fulfilling the individual needs of the participating public authorities, while seeking innovative funding solutions and promoting local businesses and employment in the area.
 
Starting with an initial investment volume of approx. EUR43m, the ambitious project was scaled up over time and awarded four EPCs amounting to EUR51.9m as well as a one further EPC for the Huy Regional Hospital (CHRH) amounting to EUR8m (total of EUR60m including maintenance). In total 64 sites representing 134 buildings have been renovated for the Liège Province, the cities of Liège, Seraing, Herstal, Verviers and the municipalities of Oupeye, Bassenge and Trois-Ponts. The project was financed via local sources receiving a loan from Belfius (Belgian Smart City Fund). 
 
The eeef team is congratulating GRE-Liège for the excellent achievement in providing a tailored response to climate change issues in the province of Liège. Zarpana Signor, Technical Assistance Manager of the eeef, added: “The GRE-Liège team in cooperation with the participating public authorities achieved the implementation of a lighthouse building refurbishment project in an ambitious timeframe attracting now further municipalities to join energy transition efforts. In addition to the Jewish Museum Berlin project (Germany) and the University Hospital S. Orsola Malpighi project (Italy), RenoWatt is the third eeef project honoured with an award which we are very proud of.”
  

The European Energy Efficiency Fund (eeef) S.A., SICAV-SIF is a “société d’investissement à capital variable” governed by Luxembourg law and initiated by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Investment Bank. eeef increased the initial capitalisation provided by the European Commission with contributions from the sponsors European Investment Bank, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti as well as the investment manager Deutsche Bank. eeef is an innovative public-private partnership dedicated to mitigate climate change through energy efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy in the Member States of the European Union.