Better governance of energy transition in Saleška, Savinjska and Koroška region

The main purpose of the contact point is to actively promote and advise on the use of renewable energy sources for energy purposes. The target groups are mainly public buildings, companies and private persons. In order to implement the activities on the whole territory of Slovenia, the support centre, which operates under the auspices of the National Energy Market Operator – Borzen, has involved all energy agencies in the country (seven energy agencies) and the EnSvet network of energy consultants.

Several activities are carried out within the framework of the Contact Point: the identification of ongoing RES projects, the identification of potential sites for RES projects, the design and training of consultants, best practice case studies for community self-sufficiency, best practice case studies for energy communities, the organisation of 10 workshops on RES investments and an analysis of the installation of solar electricity generation on cultural heritage sites.

One of the main objectives of the contact point is to provide an overview of investments in renewable energy or energy efficiency, to establish a comprehensive planning and management of future investments and thus to ensure a more efficient use of funds and resources earmarked for the energy transition.

Another instrument promoted by KSSENA in the municipalities of Šaleška, Koroška and Savinjska to improve the governance and implementation of the energy transition is the European Energy Awards (EEA). In recent years, the municipalities have developed local energy strategies with concrete measures to achieve ambitious climate targets. To help them implement these strategies, KSSENA is introducing the EEA in Slovenia. The process is based on continuous improvement, which ensures that local governments continually increase their energy efficiency, use of renewable energy and sustainable mobility practices. With the help of the EXCITE project, the municipalities of Celje, Slovenj Gradec and Velenje have successfully completed the process of becoming an EEA municipality.

Furthermore, the core infrastructure for the EEA process has been established. The tools and methodology have been adapted to Slovenian legislation and national specificities, allowing us to offer the internationally recognised methodology to other ambitious municipalities.

This best practice is extracted from our publication ‘Sustainable Regions in Action‘. Discover more best practices here!