Before the current energy crisis, the municipalities failed to use the available funds to increase the energy efficiency of the cities, but the energy high prices are an opportunity to municipalities to invest in innovation. „This crisis and the high prices provoke us to invest and to push innovation forward. There is no step back”, Dragomir Tzanev, Executive Director, Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect stated, at the conference “Regional Approach Sofia – Energy Goes Both Ways”, organized by Energynomics.

Municipalities often do not understand the benefits of energy management and therefore neither do the citizens. But the European methodology regarding municipal energy management is much targeted at the end-users, the citizens. „If we want policies to work, if we want better conditions for businesses in the cities we need the locals to see that it makes sense and that it’s beneficial for their every days life”, he added.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION OF DRAGOMIR TZANEV

The European Energy Award is a quality management and awarding system for municipalities and regions. It supports local authorities in establishing interdisciplinary planning approaches and implementing effective energy and climate policy measures. „If we take a step back, we did miss the opportunity to use the free money on the market to invest in energy-saving technologies, in energy efficiency, in infrastructure that is really needed. Now we are prompted really harshly to push into that and I think this will be a turning point”, Tzanev added.

The conference “Regional Approach Sofia – Energy Goes Both Ways” was organized by Energynomics with the support of our partners: ABB România, Electro-Service RB, Kawasaki Gas Turbine Europe, Signify.