On November 23rd EnerSHIFT organized in Genoa the third “National Stakeholders Platform”, an opportunity to gather around the same table public institutions (Liguria Region, Ministries, national ESI fund Managing Authorities, ENEA, GSE), trade associations of the energy, construction, and banking sectors and representatives of other European projects dealing with energy efficiency in buildings. Focus of the working day was the future application of EPC contracts in the building sector and, in particular, in Social Housing. An opportunity for constructing comparison between public purchasers and energy efficiency market operators to understand the critical issues and the strengths of the EnerSHIFT experience so far, given that it is the first time that in Italy Social Housing Operators uses energy performance contracts to redevelop public housing buildings.
Nowadays EnerSHIFT has entered its final phase: the first tender for the concession of energy services, about the lot of Genoa, was awarded in October and the winners are preparing the final project design (to be approved by the Social Housing Operators before the signature of the EPC
contract). The second lot, concerning the provinces of La Spezia, Savona and Imperia, is under assessment and the signature of the contract is foreseen by the first months of 2019, in line with the time-schedule agreed with the European Commission. The innovative aspects of EnerSHIFT, which bans energy savings and not an amount of work, reflects also on tenants’ side; as highlighted by the Regional Councilor for the building sector
Marco Scajola:" EnerSHIFT is a good practice that the Liguria Region put in place allowing that a portion of the energy savings obtained through EPC contracts is immediately available to users, through the reduction of the energy bill". The morning session of the Stakeholders Platform focused on the main outcomes of the EPC competitions and, taking advantage of the presence of many and highly qualified speakers, to the
sharing of updates on norms and financial instruments that can be used in the energy efficiency sector.
Later, a constructive debate started about four specific issues:
– The sustainability requirements of the economic-financial plan in the calls for EPC contracts;
– The size of the ESCos in relation to the peculiarities of the national energy efficiency market;
– The legal form of EPC contracts: opportunities and limits of current legislation;
– Minimum requirements in technical specifications and tender specifications.
The main results coming from the workshop will soon be made available in a short report of the day.
