More for energy efficiency: Technical Assistance agreement signed to renovate 27 public buildings in Autonomous Province of Bolzano in Italy

Photo: LPA/Angelika Schrott

27 buildings owned by the Province in the capital of Alto Adige Bolzano (Italy) are expected to consume less energy in the near future. The planned energy efficiency measures would require an investment volume of around EUR 56 million in total. Massimo Bessone representing the Provincial Government signed the technical assistance agreement with eeef in June 2019, in Bolzano, together with General Secretary Eros Magnago and the Energy Manager of the Province Daniel Bedin.

It is expected to publish the first tender for the investment programme by 2020, said Massimo Bessone. "We have a win-win situation here - we will require less energy in the future as a result of the refurbishments, which in turn will reduce the administrative costs and carbon dioxide emissions coming along with less pollution " Bessone stressed. "The programme supports the European Union's objectives to promote a sustainable energy market and climate protection," emphasised eeef representative Lada Strelnikova. "It is a strategic goal of the Provincial Property Management Division to develop a holistic energy efficiency plan for the total 263 owned properties with a total area of one million square meters, together with the Eurac Research Center and the KlimaHaus Agency in the long term," said Bedin.

Once the studies and audits have been completed, the second phase of the project will begin, with the selection of relevant companies for the renovation and management works. PensPlan Invest SGR (investment management arm of the Province) and eeef will work together to find suitable financial instruments for funding. The winner of the tender for energy efficient refurbishment will be required to implement the work and assume the management of the buildings for a certain number of years, presumably around 20 years. The Province as the owner of the building pays the energy costs for the management of the buildings and has guaranteed annual savings, which will be specified as a requirement in the tender documents. At the end of concession, the Province will manage the energy-renovated buildings itself.

"Such form of cooperation between public and private entities is pioneering to maintain and expand the provincial assets and to save costs," stressed General Secretary Magnago.

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.