3-fold initiative for energy planning and sustainable development at local level (3-NITY)

Hans Jacob Mydske, New Energy Performance AS – NEPAS, Norway
Kari Aamodt Espegren, Institute for Energy Technology – IFE, Norway

Keywords

local energy planning, citizen engagement, public private partnership, sustainable excellence

Abstract

The project demonstrates how the concept of “Sustainable Energy Communities” can become a reality without much additional efforts in terms of costs and human resources. 3-NITY includes 28 communities in nine European countries.

The 3-fold initiative engages local stakeholders such as politicians, planners, citizens and local energy actors to take part in local energy planning and implementation of sustainable energy measures, as well as adopting a working methodology for continuous improvement. This is achieved through the development, testing and demonstration of a comprehensive set of tools, quality systems and sustainable best practices that cover the following three main areas:

Sustainable Planning
Sustainable Measures and Activities
Sustainable Excellence

“Sustainable Planning” aims to develop a modern planning and investment decision tool for local energy planning which is prepared to engage several levels in the local community i.e. politicians, planners, energy market actors as well as the citizens. The new model is based on the existing KRAM model. The KRAM model is a simulation tool suited for sustainable energy planning in a municipality, a part of a city or in a region. Both energy for heating purposes and electricity for light and equipment can be analysed with the KRAM model. In addition, the model can be used to analyse the implementation of energy efficiency measures.

“Sustainable Measures and Activities” aims to engage local politicians, planners and energy actors as well as the citizens to actively participate in local energy planning and implementation of sustainable energy measures.

“Sustainable Excellence” will make use of the existing tool for monitoring and measuring qualitative results achieved by an organisation, i.e. the EFQM-excellence model for local governments and municipalities. The Excellence Model of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) is based on the premise that excellent results in organisational performance, citizens/costumers, people and society are achieved through leadership driving strategy and planning, people, partnerships and resources and processes. It looks at the organisation from different angles at the same time, the holistic approach of organisation performance analysis.

The model is a result of co-operation among the EU Ministers responsible for Public Administration. It is jointly developed under the aegis of the Innovative Public Services Group (IPSG), a working group of national experts set up by the Directors-General (DG) in order to promote exchanges and cooperation where it concerned innovative ways of modernizing government and public service delivery in EU Member States.

Moreover, the idea is to make use of the already existing framework of Communities of Practice (CoPs); which is operated by EFQM, and to establish a new group called “Sustainable Energy Communities”.Such a group will be an informal network or a discussion forum for 5–15 Sustainable Energy Communities, where they can discuss issues of common interest.