CITIES are responsible for 70 percent of Europe’s energy consumption, with buildings contributing 40 percent of the total, the leaflet of the EU-GUGLE project reads. In this context, reducing energy consumption in buildings is essential if Europe is to meet its energy targets for 2020, i.e. a 20-percent reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels, raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20 percent, and a 20-percent improvement in the EU’s energy efficiency. While crucial to the sustainability of European cities, building renovation is a complicated process involving several technical, financial and social constraints. For this reason integrated strategies are needed. By implementing a balanced mix of technical, socio-economic and financial solutions that are adapted to local needs, the participating cities aim to achieve 40 – 80 percent primary energy savings per pilot district, while increasing their share of renewable energy sources by 25 percent. The main output will be the integration of the results into comprehensive “smart renovation strategies” which are easily transposable to other municipalities.
Slovakia’s primary energy savings target is up to 47 percent.
An integral part of the project will be the ‘My Smart City District’ campaign, which will be the main channel through which six pilot cities can share their experiences. In practice, EU-GUGLE will organise trainings, workshops, study tours and dissemination events, allowing stakeholders from other districts and cities to learn about the renovation strategies implemented in the project.
EU-GUGLE is co-financed by the European Commission as part of the Smart Cities and Communities Initiative, and funded under the seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Innovation.
Source: www. eu-gugle.eu
