Powering Energy Hub

Introduction

To achieve the “nearly zero-energy buildings” target set by the European Union, municipalities have significant responsibility in advocating and implementing energy-efficient measures on a local scale. However, local authorities struggle to implement these measures and foster the necessary investment.

Project Overview

In this setting, Powering Energy Hub (PEH) aims to accelerate energy efficiency and renewable energy production investments on public and private buildings and infrastructures. The project builds on the tools and knowledge of the H2020 Porto Energy ElevatoR (PEER) consortia and will enlarge the scope of the previous project.

Objectives

Being so, PEH, besides providing technical and legal support regarding the implementation of measures related to improving energy efficiency and renewable energy production, will focus on developing new financial solutions and business models that would attract and facilitate private investment.

Approaches

These models will be mainstreamed by two different approaches:

1. Virtual One-Stop-Shop (OSS): Directed to municipalities and municipal companies that will promote investment for public energy efficiency projects. This OSS will be replicated for the national scale through a network of energy agencies.

2. Local OSS (Energy Hubs): This will provide support to private entities, citizens, and NGOs, enlarging the capacity already established during the PEER project in the Área Metropolitana do Porto a Norte do Rio Douro.

Support Activities

All actions will be supported by capacity building, communication, and dissemination activities targeted to the various stakeholders, namely:

• Local authorities
• Public and private building owners
• Project developers
• ESCOs (Energy Service Companies)
• Financial institutions

Expected Outcomes

PEH will leverage EUR 26.3 million of investment, leading to 58.5 GWh/year of primary energy savings. In a nutshell, PEH will act as an OSS to public and private entities, promoting energy efficiency investments’ aggregation and fostering alternative financial schemes and legal models.