Events

Szentgotthard- Luzern Energy City project : the first labelled Energy City in Hungary has born

The challenging targets on energy efficiency and renewable energy production for  Europe  until 2020 have identified a strong need for implementing an energy and  climate program for European municipalities.  The Swiss Contribution Fund and the Partnership Block Grant program came into focus with his financial support  to  apply  for City of Szentgotthard to award the first Energy City label in Hungary with his swiss partner city, Luzern. The project aims to foster widespread and systematic integrated energy planning in City of Szentgotthard,  in Hungary  by promoting the take up of the European Energy Award (eea®) as a common methodology for energy planning across Hungary . The eea® methodology, so far having been adopted only in Western Europe by today, is being recognised at EU level as a best practice for energy sustainability in municipalities, particularly supporting the achievement of the Covenant of Mayors‘ aim of going beyond the “20-20-20” EU energy policy objectives. City of Luzern got already gold label twice, and the swiss EEA experts guided  the municipality team of Szentgotthard with the start of the eea process in the last 12 months.

After the first initial energy review, which was held in January in City of Szentgotthard by the Forum of European Energy Award, Szentgotthárd is officially awarded to the Energy City label - announced Mrs Maren Kornmann EEA auditor, representing of the European Energy Forum Award in a press conference in the Raba coastal city, which was held on Tuesday, at 30^th of April.2013. She said that the certification is awarded on the basis that how the city government effectively implements the objectives of an economic and efficient use of energy within their own territory as a member of the European Union.  Their organization has more than one thousand members in the European settlements, Maren Kornmann announced the result of the 79 measures, taking into account the energy audit where Szentgotthárd achieved 55 percent, so the next four years, they allowed to use the Energy City title.

Gabor Huszar, Szentgotthárd mayor said the last two years in the Swiss city of Lucerne took part in a joint project whose main goal was to support the Szentgotthárd energy review. According to him the result of the previous decade, government measures also contributed to the upgraded institutions, heating systems, lighting, thermal insulation, and public awareness campaigns were conducted in the general population. The mayor stressed that Szentgotthárd as a member of the European community with this result will have more chance to apply for additional EU funds in the continuously implemented programs and applications in relation to the reduction of energy consumption. He said that the renewable energy utilization to attach importance to the management of the city, thus supporting the Rába a small hydroelectric plant establishment, which is expected to start production in 2014.

The European Energy Award® and Its holistic approach in terms of themes and targets, its quality management process as well as its tools like the catalogue of measures make it a perfect instrument for guiding the municipalities in their climate protection efforts. Three levels of certification are introduced. The internationally harmonised European Energy Award®  (50% of achievable points) and the European Energy Award®  Gold (75% of achievable points) has been  defined  a quality management system which allows municipalities to optimise continuously their energy and climate protection policies.  10 years – 1000 municipalities – 25 Mio inhabitants those are the main figures in the long-term experiences with the European Energy Award.

 The prize was picked up in Luzern on 14^th of June at a ceremony in the city which is organized by City of Luzern.

Tunde Kallai, Energy City Szentgotthard- Luzern project Manager                               14/June,/2013