EIB-Elena interventions monitoring and verification is helping local authorities in the green transition

Back in 2015, the Province of Savona and 33 of its Municipalities were awarded the “PROSPER – PROvince of Savona Pact for Energy and Renewables” investment programme by the European Investment Bank’s ELENA instrument. Developed by the regional energy agency IRE, PROSPER had a budget of €1.46 million and aimed to mobilise €42 million of private investments in the public sector using Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). By the end of the three-year project and after long and intense work, EPC contracts were completed for the Energy retrofitting of 91 public buildings and eight public street lighting systems.

However, once the project phase was over, it became evident that the Local Authorities needed support for the evaluation, monitoring and control of the interventions as stated in the contracts, making sure that all the envisaged projects are carried out properly and efficiently by the winning economic operators. So IRE, the regional energy agency that was involved at the project phase, jumped in once again to help.

IRE has a long experience in the monitoring and evaluation of energy contracts, having done this job for all health structures in the Liguria Region for many years. Various members of its staff are certified experts in energy management (Italy’s EGE certification) as well as in the measurement and verification of energy efficiency performance (international IPMVP certification).

Today, IRE is supporting Savona Province and eight Municipalities in the implementation of their ELENA contracts, working as a Verification Committee to evaluate the results achieved by the concession holders. Annually, IRE verifies the achieved energy savings (which in the case of street lighting amounts to over 75%), based on the available data and by performing random checks on-site.

This experience highlights the need for energy agencies to keep working alongside local authorities involved in ELENA projects in the long term, namely in the post project phase. Monitoring energy contracts is a highly technical and very tricky business. With their high competencies and care for the public interest, local and regional energy agencies can ensure that works remain on track, hence speeding up the green transition at the local level.

“Energy agencies are the ideal subjects to guide local authorities in the post-ELENA phase, namely in the monitoring and control of the awarded contracts, to make sure that all interventions and works remain on track.” Maria Fabianelli, Member of the board of IRE Liguria.

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