Provincial Technical Assistance Resources for Investments and Development on Energy efficiency (PARIDE)

Location: 33 small and medium-sized municipalities in Teramo Province, Abruzzo (Italy)

Population: 237.243 [Combined Population of the 33 municipalities]

Climate: Mediterranean

Duration: October 2012 – September 2015 (completed)

Sector: Street lighting

Funding sources: EU

City networks: Covenant of Mayors

Savings: Primary energy consumption is reduced by over 2,600 tons per year.

Solutions: The Province of Teramo is developing a shared technical assistance (TA) structure working to prepare and launch the investments in the street lighting for itself and for the 3 ATS (association of municipalities, involving 33 Municipalities of the province) [source].

Multiple benefits: Reduction of electricity consumption and CO2 emissions.

With 5 partners (Province of Teramo, AGENA, 3 associations of municipalities), the PARIDE project developed a bundled Energy Performance Contracting model.

Objective – To facilitate the mobilisation of funds for investments in small and medium-sized municipalities, which, if not aggregated, could not make the upgrade of street lighting economically viable

Solutions – The TA  consisted of several steps, namely: the creation of a support unit; development of a detailed inventory of the existing lighting stock; definition of tender specifications to select a procedure for the implementation of investments via ESCOs; launch of competitive dialogues for 3 bundles of municipal street lighting facilities; contracts financed by ESCO’s in Energy Performance Contracts.

Funding – The funding amounted to EUR 168,304.11 and the EU provided it in the frame of the PARIDE project.

Innovation – The PARIDE model is the first of its kind implemented in Italy.

Success factors – The 33 municipalities joined the Covenant of Mayors and developed their Sustainable Energy Action Plans, thus, they had a strong political commitment. Moreover, the lessons learned from this project demonstrated the relevance of this model, as small and medium-sized municipalities benefit from the support of an intermediary institution to manage European funds. Thus, the application of subsidiarity successfully supported the whole PARIDE project. Moreover, the supra-municipal coordination made the upgrade of street lighting economically viable. Lastly, by having a common methodology for the assessment and energy audit of the public lighting systems, it was possible to endure a high level of homogeneity in the quality of collected data functional to the success of future tenders, which eventually resulted in success.

Significant outcomes:

• To prepare 3 sustainable energy projects (one for each association of municipalities);
• To define a common standard approach, resulting in a new way of managing street lighting installations through private companies/ESCOs;
• The replacement of 1) inefficient light lamps (approximately 27% of the total lamps stock) with higher efficiency lamps with the best technology available on the market and 2) the outdated light sources (approximately 30% of the total) and to introduce a step-less dimming with the consequent possibility to reduce the luminous flux and the consequent energy consumption up to 30%;
• Electricity reduced by at least 44% for public lighting;
• CO2 emissions were reduced by over 6,800 tonnes per year;
• Primary energy consumption is reduced by over 2,600 tons per year.

Synergies with local policies:

• The Province of Teramo is currently working on the SEAP (Sustainable Energy Action Plans) arrangement for all the Municipalities;
• R. Abruzzo 12/2005 concerns about the “Urgent measures for light pollution reduction and energy savings” and confirms the attention of public authorities towards street lighting;
• The Interregional Strategy of Sustainable Development of Abruzzo Region aims to develop a regional Strategy of Sustainable Development in the National Strategy of Sustainable Development framework. In the framework of this commitment, Abruzzo, in collaboration with other neighbouring Italian regions, attempt to develop common activities related to resilience, sustainable reconstruction and also within the CReIAMOPA project (modernisation of the Public Administration in a sustainable framework);
• Abruzzo Regional Energy Plan has established three objectives: 1) the design and implementation of energy and environmental policies, 2) economic management of primary energy sources available in the area, 3) development of alternatives to the consumption of hydrocarbons, 4) limiting the impact on the environment and harm to public health, resulting from the use of fossil fuels and 5) participation in activities aimed at sustainable development.

Political alignment:

• Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2017, contains a brief summary of the energy efficiency targets set by Italy for 2020;
• National Energy Strategy 2017, sets a 10-year strategy to make the national energy system more competitive, more sustainable, and more secure;
• The Budget Law 2018 confirmed the tax deduction scheme (Ecobonus) to incentivise energy renovation of the existing building stock.

Marketability:

• One of the project results is to transfer the PARIDE model across Italy and Europe to be replicated by other local authorities.