News Kick-off for our energy efficiency project in Moldova, Romania and Georgia

In the frame of our DBU project for strengthening energy efficiency by solar thermal energy and insulation of buildings, the kick-off network meeting was organized from 10th-15th March, 2019, in Moldova. Together with our project partner URBIS and energy experts from Georgia, Moldova Romania and Germany, we had a successful exchange about experiences in the energy sector and could inspire each other for new ideas.

The presentation of the DBU project and the 17 participants and their organizations as well as the insight into previous energy projects in Eastern Europe (CLEEN) and the mobile workshop of the Association for Ecological Building (Leipzig) made for a good start to our common week. In very interactive workshops, the participants made clear the current climate and energy situation in their individual countries.
One conclusion was that the solar market in Georgia tends to be rated better than in the other countries, whereas the market for building insulation, especially in Moldova, is considered positive. The main problems in both areas are lack of awareness of the technologies and high costs, and in some cases (especially Moldova) a difficult legal situation. Suggested solutions were in particular a sensitization of the population and politics as well as the establishment of state support programs. However, support programs are scarce in all countries. Although Romania has some government initiatives, access to them is very bureaucratic and barely known in rural areas. In Moldova, on the other hand, good experiences were made with the support of the municipalities.The network meeting also featured 5 modules - gender and energy, business and service models, project management, building insulation and solar thermal energy. The introduction to gender and energy discussed existing inequalities between women and men in energy production and consumption. The module on business and service models provided an introduction to the cooperative model as well as tips on customer acquisition and marketing. Sales and demand generation, in particular, present challenges to organizations in partner countries, especially as a result of relatively high costs for the purchase of a solar thermal system compared to local incomes. The project management module also clarified the existing challenges of the individual partners, such as the brain drain (in Moldova it is estimated that ¼ of the population works abroad - especially young families). On the positive side, however, is the existing commitment and cooperation in the energy sector, i.a. with municipalities. In the modules for building insulation and solar thermal, i.a. the increasing insulation trend with natural resources such as straw and clay as well as the individual solar thermal projects of the partners discussed. The modules were supplemented by subsequent excursions to isolated buildings and existing solar thermal systems in a kindergarten, a spa and a cooperative multi-family dwelling.

After the collected impressions during the excursion, the exchange between all organizations and the further qualification of the 5 modules, the participants in their country groups discussed their main topics (2-3 modules), which they will focus on in their country trainings in autumn 2019. Due to the excellent organization of the Moldovan partners and the commitment of all participants, the network meeting reached our goals - an intensive exchange, new project ideas and a strong networking. Overall, all participants were very satisfied with the network meeting and are very motivated for further cooperation and exchange with each other.

After the collected impressions during the excursion, the exchange between all organizations and the further qualification of the 5 modules, the participants in their country groups discussed their main topics (2-3 modules), which they will focus on in their country trainings in autumn 2019. Due to the excellent organization of the Moldovan partners and the commitment of all participants, the network meeting reached our goals - an intensive exchange, new project ideas and a strong networking. Overall, all participants were very satisfied with the network meeting and are very motivated for further cooperation and exchange with each other.

Outlook