Southern Regional Assembly Regional Action Plan - Online Ve…

Energy Poverty Guidebook 2022

The Southern Regional Assembly is a partner on EMPOWER, a project approved under the Interreg Europe Programme 2014-20 and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.  The project brings together 9 partners from Slovenia, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, France, Sweden, Poland, Germany and Spain, with a total budget of €2.23m.

EMPOWER aims to identify good practices in the use of ICT systems for energy monitoring in medium-sized situations (different size and use of buildings, old, new or renovated), analyse critical success factors and how these tools are linked to financing of the refurbishments.

EMPOWER innovatively addresses two urgent challenges in European cities and regions, the opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions from buildings using new technology and better management, and the need for more investment to meet the EU’s CO2 reduction targets.  The potential is considerable but progress is slow. Energy monitoring systems are available for individual houses and large schemes, but little exists for medium sized schemes.

The project will improve regional policies by:

• analysing partner plans through peer review;
• identifying good practices that will improve these plans, studying them through Study Visits, importing good practices via special workshops and Regional Action Plans
• developing cost-effective energy monitoring systems and using these in existing buildings and to attract private investment
• building the capacity of all relevant public authorities including ERDF Managing Authorities

EMPOWER aims to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by 2021 through the 9 policy instruments identified.  The project will:

• implement investment, organisational and optimisation measures in the participating “test sites”
• develop at least 2 cost effective energy monitoring systems

Improved governance: partners will demonstrate that “good energy management is a part of good governance” ; monitored savings will reassure financial institutions about the rewards of long term energy management investment.

For further information please visit EMPOWER project website 

Project Contact: Rose Power, EU Projects Officer
Phone: +353 (0) 51 318106
Email: rpower@southernassembly.ie