The 4th Interregional Event of the 5th Call FINERPOL Project was held in Extremadura on the 13-14th of September 2023 organised by Extremadura Energy Agency (AGENEX).
Partners and stakeholders from UK, Greece and Check Republic visit the region to discuss how the COVID19 crisis has impacted on the energy renovation of buildings and financial instruments and other tools available to boost the process.
During the first day, partners spent the first day in Caceres, visiting the EDEA Project and the second day in Badajoz, at the Final Dissemination Event of FINERPOL and CISMOB project where the regional stakeholders could learn about the projects’ results and visitors could understand Extremadura regional context.
The Conference 'Energy Transition in Extremadura: Transport and Building', organized by the Extremadura Energy Agency Consortium (AGENEX), highlighted the urgent need to act in the building sector and in sustainable mobility, to move towards a safe energy transition.
As explained by the director of Agenex, Cosme Segador, at least 60% of the 400,000 registered buildings in Extremadura (more than 660,000 homes) were built before 1980; that is, prior to the regulation that obliges to insulate the facades.
Segador recalled that the Junta de Extremadura is encouraging these measures, especially self-consumption facilities in SMEs and individuals, whose processing has been simplified to facilitate the deployment of these infrastructures in the region. In addition, the Executive has a budget item of 13.9 million euros, and six aid programs aimed at both large companies and SMEs, NGOs, individuals and other public administrations.
Junta de Extremadura is encouraging these savings and efficiency measures. Grant programmes are currently open for energy rehabilitation in homes, and self-consumption facilities for SMEs and homeowners, as well as grants for the acquisition of electric vehicles and the installation of charging points that are part of the Regional Strategy for the Promotion of electric vehicle with horizon in 2030.
The conference was closed by the General Director of Industry, Energy and Mines, Samuel Ruiz, who stressed that "the transition towards a clean energy model is more urgent today than ever, a renewable model that helps us combat climate change, which contributes to promoting the sustainable growth of our economy and developing energy self-sufficiency”.
He also explained that "accelerating investment in clean and efficient technologies can be the core of the solution for the decarbonization of the economy, to contribute to energy independence and to offer price stability in the complicated energy scenario we are experiencing, in addition to contributing to the care of the environment”.
The general director concluded by ensuring that "economic sustainability is directly linked to the sustainability of the energy system" and for this reason, Extremadura is already working on the energy transformation towards a more inclusive and safe energy system that provides solutions while creating value for our companies and Extremadura society as a whole.
Likewise, during the day it was possible to learn about other experiences that are being developed in Europe, such as the Green Mobility in Bucharest, and the Sustainable Mobility project in Portugal.
Additionally, the experiences of the partners of the FINERPOL project, Renewable Energy Community of Prague, and Promoting the role of SMEs in the rehabilitation process, of Plymouth, have been exposed.
