The renewable energy potential of Western Greece reviewed during AER´s More4nrg project
The 20th June 2010 a multinational team of energy experts reviewed the energy situation of Western Greece in a renewable energy sources (RES) perspective. The review is part of the AER project MORE4NRG and highlights the importance of regional action in the area of sustainable energy development.
According to Professor Petros Groumpos of Patras Science Park: “We have identified a huge potential of commercialization of renewable techniques in western Greece. There is a strong scientific base and the government has recently taken measures of to increase the use of RES and international projects like MORE4NRG are essential to exchange good ideas, practices and knowledge in order to speed up the process and raise awareness.”
The peer review team consisted of energy experts in different fields of renewable energy from the regions of Västernorrland(SE), Flevoland (NL) and Gabrovo (BG) met with key stakeholders from the regional business life, academia and research institutes and local and regional authorities.
The peer review was kicked off with a visit to the Park of Energy Awareness (PENA-Park) that presents the various forms of renewable energy operating at full scale. Afterwards the team met with the Public Power Corporation and the national Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES) among other key stakeholders.
Konstantinos Konstadakopoulos, Head of Environment & Sustainable Development Dpt, Municipality of Patras says, “Since we signed the Covenant of Mayors we took our first step towards the preparation of a regional sustainable energy action plan. Our involvement in the MORE4NRG peer review is a recognition of our commitment in setting up a sustainable profile for the municipality of Patras.”
The team conclusions assess the regions performance against a set of energy benchmarks, based on institutional best practice. The report will describe the strengths and weaknesses of the region and will be used as background material for a regional action plan on renewable energy solutions. The host region then considers the conclusions and prepares an action plan setting out how it intends to implement them. The report will be published on the MORE4NRG website in August 2010 (www.more4nrg.eu).
MORE4NRG project in brief
The project aims at strengthening the delivery of regional strategies for renewable energy sourves and energy efficiency by exchanging best practices on sustainable energy policies and jointly developing an integrated monitoring tool for measuring the effect of regional sustainable energy strategies.
MORE4NRG brings together the AER and 11 regions: Flevoland (NL), Abruzzo (I), EPF/Gabrovo (BG), Lazio (I), Maramures (RO), Norrbotten (S), Noord-Brabant (NL), Prahova (RO), Västernorrland (S), Valencia (E) and Western Greece (GR). The methology of the project includes analysis of the state of the art on energy strategies, targets and existing monitoring tools, and 5 other peer reviews. Until now, four peer reviews has taken place in Maramures (RO), Prahova (RO), Gabrovo (BG) and Abruzzo (I).
MORE4NRG brings together the AER and 11 regions: Flevoland (NL), Abruzzo (I), EPF/Gabrovo (BG), Lazio (I), Maramures (RO), Norrbotten (S), Noord-Brabant (NL), Prahova (RO), Västernorrland (S), Valencia (E) and Western Greece (GR). The methology of the project includes analysis of the state of the art on energy strategies, targets and existing monitoring tools, and 5 other peer reviews. Until now, four peer reviews has taken place in Maramures (RO), Prahova (RO), Gabrovo (BG) and Abruzzo (I).
The Assembly of European Regions (AER- www.aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 270 regions from 33 countries and 16 interregional organizations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.
