Action plan

General information

Project Title:
Enerselves – Policy Instruments for energy self-consumption in buildings.

Project Code:
PGI02505

Programme:
Interreg Europe

Document Title:
Enerselves Action Plan for Gozo

Partner organization:
MIEMA – Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency

Other organization involved:
Ministry for Gozo, EcoGozo Directorate

Contact person:
Mariangela Luceri
mariangela.luceri@miema.org
enerselves@miema.org

Executive Summary

This action plan is the result of the implementation of the Enerselves project (Interreg Europe) in Malta. MIEMA – Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency, is the Maltese partner of the project.

MIEMA is a public equivalent body. The general purpose of the agency is to promote and support the intelligent use and management of energy and energy-related resources. Its activities focus on 5 main thrusts, namely RES installations, energy efficiency in buildings, clean transport, eco-innovation, and training and awareness. 

MIEMA forms part of the European network of Energy Agencies. In Malta, it works closely with the relevant ministries, municipalities, academic institutions, national agencies, SME networks, professional bodies and other stakeholders.

MIEMA is not in charge of the implementation of the EcoGozo policy, but its activities aim to foster its implementation. Furthermore, the agency strives to apply the experience derived from its participation in European territorial cooperation projects to introduce good practices for the benefit of Maltese regional and local authorities, which are individually too small to employ the required expertise in the specialised energy sector. Due to the nature of the organization, the range of its activities is limited to capacity building and support / advisory services, other than those strictly connected with the implementation of its European projects. Therefore, the Enerselves Action Plan for Gozo consists of one main action addressed to support local and regional authorities and SMEs in reaching the EcoGozo policy’s targets. In particular, this action aims to support target groups not directly involved in the project, such as private citizens and SMEs, to integrate renewable energy sources and other green measures in their properties.

Policy Context

The EcoGozo action plan, promoting an Eco-island vision for Gozo, is a regional policy developed by the Ministry for Gozo to trigger a community project with a long-term vision and a commitment from the grassroots.

The aim of the policy is to make Gozo an eco-island by 2020, supported by a keen and committed sustainable community.

The policy, which entered into force in 2009, established a new label (the “EcoGozo label”) as an official sign for those enterprises or entities committed to achieve the EcoGozo’s objectives. This label, together with the EU Eco-label for Tourist Accommodation and the EU Eco-Management Standards, serves to identify and certify:

  • Organic agricultural products;
  • Restaurants which offer local dishes, organic meals and dishes prepared from local production;
  • Environment management standards for both private and public buildings;
  • Diving centres respecting the environmental code of practices;
  • Gozo crafts and products, made in accordance with the EcoGozo environmental standards.

With regard to the Priority Area 2 – Environment, the EcoGozo policy aims to:

  • Facilitate the uptake of renewable energy in Gozo;
  • Produce a Masterplan to achieve the production of Gozo’s energy requirements from alternative renewable sources by a set target;
  • Determine the carbon footprint of residents, tourists and selected activities in Gozo;
  • Evaluate and introduce private-public partnership schemes for investment in renewable energy sources including small scale energy generation;
  • Introduce an attractive feed-in tariff scheme to support small-scale roof-top electricity generation.

The EcoGozo policy promotes the installation and use of micro-wind turbines, intended as small wind turbines that can be easily installed for the localised generation of energy for small activities.

Furthermore, a study conducted in view of the policy showed that, thanks to the conformation of the territory, the installation of wind farms can cover 20% of the total energy requirement of the island.

Finally, the policy intends to promote the use of solar energy since the study shows that it could cover up to 27% of the energy requirements of the island.

Alongside the promotion of different kinds of renewable energy sources, the EcoGozo policy wants to incentivise eco-friendly transport, not dependent on fossil fuels, through the promotion of bio-fuels and the establishment of reserved parking areas for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Summing up, the EcoGozo policy covers a set of topics which contribute to qualify the island as an ecological one. These include:

  • promotion of zero-energy buildings,
  • scholarship schemes for science, engineering, planning and architecture students,
  • energy audits in public buildings,
  • tax credit system for industries and commercial outlets that use renewable energy sources,
  • a green award for green companies, households and villages,
  • energy-saving lighting for public spaces and offices,
  • free consultation and financial incentives for those who intend to convert their houses to become more energy-efficient,
  • education and awareness activities.

Background

The Enerselves Action Plan for Gozo consists in the main output of the Enerselves project. The project aims to:

  • promote new policies or improve existing policies to support the integration of renewable energy into buildings for self-consumption, financed by the Structural Funds and other EC Instruments;
  • design policies to promote only those renewable energies for self-consumption technologies with greater benefits in each region;
  • define clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify the best investment by value;
  • transmit how European policies have an impact on society;
  • support the integration of RES in buildings.

The Enerselves project started in January 2017 and it has now reached the end of its first phase, where all project partners and their main stakeholders have been involved in an intense learning process aimed to increase their knowledge and competences on energy efficiency, financing instruments and RES for self-consumption.

Seveninterregional events have been organized within the project. During these events, each hosting partner organized several site visits to the places/installations it considers most appropriate for the project and most innovative in the field of RES integration and promotion.

Furthermore, during the organized events, partners presented both their policies and other successful projects linked to energy efficiency. In MIEMA’s case, some of these proved to be very interesting and useful, both for the Agency itself and for its Gozitan stakeholders. In particular, some of the practices observed and installations visited will serve to increase the effectiveness and the impact of the EcoGozo policy that MIEMA has addressed within the context of the Enerselves project.

Finally, the project partners have also shared other minor good practices not presented during the events or not uploaded on the project website, through exchange of emails and shared folders / forms. 

During the several endorsement seminars organized within the framework of the Enerselves project, MIEMA collected the stakeholders’ feedback on the good practices that were each time presented.

Among these, the good practices which attracted mostly the Maltese stakeholders’ interest were the following:

  • Sardinia Ricerche’s Advisory Office,
  • CNR website,
  • Swietokrzyskie Region’s policy,
  • Bionearea project.

The Bionearea project, carried out in Sweden, was aimed to develop systems for the energy generation by crops, agricultural by-products, livestock waste biomass and urban waste. The innovation and the interest generated by the project resides in the development of small local action plans for biomass in local areas, done through the Bionearea’s sub-project Poli-biomass.

The practice is interesting because Gozo has a high concentration of farms within the island, which produce the abovementioned products but do not have a system for their reuse as energy generators. The island already experienced an attempt to produce energy from agricultural and animal waste, but the study was unsuccessful. Thus, a new attempt, i.e. with the adaptation of the Bionearea project to the local context, should first foresee a feasibility study and a deep analysis of the project carried out in Gozo, in order to understand the problems faced on the island and evaluate if the successful elements of the Swedish project may be adapted and imported here.

Unfortunately, following in-depth discussions with the Ministry for Gozo and the local councils, it has been decided not to transfer the good practice within this action plan, as Maltese policy makers are still reluctant to use this type of RES.

At any rate, due to the positive feedback that the Bionearea good practice received from the local authorities and stakeholders, MIEMA decided to keep it in stand-by for future project opportunities, as we are confident that sooner or later that technology will find its space and application in Gozo.

On the other hand, the first three abovementioned good practices constitute the basis of the actions hereunder described.

As Energy Agency, MIEMA can only contribute with its expertise and human resources to achieve the EcoGozo and Enerselves targets. Therefore, the activities included in this action plan intend to support the implementation of the EcoGozo policy by public authorities and SMEs, not to directly fund them.

Regional Context

According to the Malta Partnership Agreement 2014-2020, << over 60% of CO2 emissions at national level stem from the generation of electricity>>.

Gozo is currently dependent on imported fossil fuel for the majority of its energy needs. Since 2007, the Government has undertaken intensive investments on energy efficiency and the generation of energy through renewable sources. The investments, mainly financed through European funds, generated a spill-over effect. Increasing the share of electricity generated by renewable sources will reduce the demand for energy generated by fossil fuel. This fact will have two positive effects: it will reduce Gozo’s dependency on Malta and foreign countries and it will improve the quality of the environment. Furthermore, this will contribute to climate change mitigation and energy security.

Gozo’s deep coastal waters and small size, together with the limited available space for RES, pose significant challenges to the development of RES on the island.

There are no widespread natural gas, heating, cooling and domestic hot water services in Gozo. Enemalta is the only electricity supply company and there are no other national networks supplying energy-related services.

As a result, due to the conformation of the territory and the high sun exposure of the island, the Government policy mainly promotes and encourages the use of solar-based renewable sources.

Efforts to address sustainable energy issues were not conducted on a regular basis. In 2012, the then Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs, in cooperation with the Institute of Sustainable Energy of the University of Malta, launched the “Save and Reduce” programme in Gozo. This was a government-funded campaign designed to promote sustainable energy, water and waste management practices in households. The programme was offered to 11,000 households, out of which 8,828 (56% of all Gozitan households) benefitted from a walk-through energy and water audit and received a booklet that contained quantitative and qualitative information about energy efficiency.

Objectives of the platform

The Enerselves Action Plan for Gozo aims to address the following objectives of the EcoGozo policy:

  • Facilitate the uptake of renewable energy in Gozo;
  • Evaluate and introduce private-public partnership schemes for investment in renewable energy sources, including small scale energy generation;

while at the same time fostering the Gozitan green economy and growth.

The Action Plan consists in the development of a web platform for the provision of advisory services on Renewable Energy Sources.

The web platform will support public authorities, SMEs and private citizens to develop targeted plans for the introduction of renewable energy sources in their buildings / facilities. The support will consist (mainly) in technical advices and practical support in the draft of the plans / interventions.

Furthermore, the web platform will have a dedicated space for the networking between SMEs and public authorities, providing support in the development of public – private partnership, trying to find the best Energy Performance Contract form fitting the beneficiaries’ purposes. The platform will also support SMEs to create temporary consortia and network for the implementation of major projects / interventions which they could not carry out alone.

Through the support given to Gozitan entities, enterprises and inhabitants, MIEMA will indirectly support the EcoGozo policy in reaching the above – mentioned targets.

The platform

The idea is inspired by three good practices presented within the Enerselves project:

  • Sardegna Ricerche’s Advisory Office,
  • CNR website,
  • Swietokrzyskie Region’s policy.

During the 7th Interregional Event in Cagliari (Italy), the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, project partner, presented Sardegna Ricerche, a research centre in renewable energy sources that, among its activities, supports both public and private entities in the development of plans and studies related to energy efficiency and the use of RES for energy generation.

Sardegna Ricerche was established by the Sardinia Region in 1985 in order to promote research and technology transfer and the development of a knowledge-based local economy. Specifically, Sardegna Ricerche:

  • Supports innovation of the production system, favouring technology transfer from universities and research centres to industry;
  • Fosters the set-up of innovative enterprises and attracts high-tech companies to Sardinia;
  • Promotes, manages and develops the Science and Technology Park of Sardinia;
  • Enhances human capital through advanced training and work placement programmes;
  • Delivers services to Sardinian SMEs aimed at the introduction of new technologies and products and the modernization of corporate organization.

Furthermore, MIEMA intends to follow the good practice shared by the Lazio Region “Energy+” regarding the creation of the web portal www.energia.cnr.it by the CNR (Centro Nazionale Ricerche, leading research institution in Italy). The web portal aims to encourage the participation of CNR employees in energy saving. The intention is to inform all the employees about the energy management activities carried out at CNR and actively involve them in energy management activities.

In particular:

  1. the website provides information about energy management activities currently carried out at CNR (energy consumption monitoring, organization of events, experimental activities, energy audits, creation of a network of 8 weather stations, research activities, etc.);
  2. the website is a tool to promote the active participation of employees (through the creation of a community of experts in the energy sector, the presence of a free online training course on energy saving, etc.);
  3. a section of the website is a platform that is used by energy managers to store data on energy consumption of CNR locations and all technical documents of energy interest.

Finally, during the info-day held in Brussels and hosted by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, on the occasion of the EC Energy Week (EUSEW 2018), the Polish partner, the Marshal Office of Swietokrzyskie Region, presented an interesting policy aimed at the promotion of energy efficiency within their region. In particular, what MIEMA intends to follow is the model to create a network between local (Gozitan) SMEs and Maltese or foreign specialists in the related sectors. In fact, due to its small territory and characteristics, Gozo lacks enterprises which can design and fully implement an energy-efficiency plan for their needs.

Combining the experience gained from the three abovementioned practices, MIEMA intends to create a web platform – “RESAP” – that can support the Ministry for Gozo and other public authorities, as well as private entities, in the integration of renewable energy sources in their buildings and activities.

The platform includes:

  • A virtual space where public authorities, private citizens and SMEs can receive counselling on RES. This space is particularly addressed to local councils which at the moment lack an energy manager who can take care of the energy efficiency interventions and monitoring in their own buildings. Furthermore, this space will also provide the interested parties with advisory services for the development of RES systems tailored to their needs.
  • An informative space dedicated to information on RES and available financing instruments for the introduction of RES in buildings, as well as on RES events and training activities for public authorities.
  • A networking space where companies and public authorities can meet, receiving technical support for the development of energy efficiency interventions and partnerships. This space is also be dedicated to the creation of partnerships among local and foreign SMEs for the development of comprehensive RES interventions in Malta, as currently there is no such service in the country.