The POWER HOUSE EUROPE project functionned as a catalyst to trigger action to achieve the maximum potential energy saving in the residential sector by mainstreaming existing know-how required to refurbish and build housing with optimal energy consumption levels.The starting point were the outputs of the 20 projects supported by IEE under the Vertical Key Action “Retrofitting of Social Housing”. These tools and proposals on how to accelerate retrofitting of social housing, if widely deployed, were used with the potential to boost the introduction of optimal intelligent-energy practices at all operational levels of social housing organizations. This paved the way for similar developments in the wider residential sector.

The POWER HOUSE EUROPE project maximized the impact of these projects with active hands-on targeted dissemination and knowledge exchange campaigns at national level to promote the maximum deployment rate of outputs. Over 39,000 non-for-profit housing organisations from 19 EU member states, which together manage over 22 million homes, were brought together at European level by the European Liaison Committee for Social housing (CECODHAS) who led the POWER HOUSE EUROPE project.

POWER HOUSE EUROPE:

Provided a gateway to resources for housing professionals to help them reduce their carbon footprint.
Upscaled existing best practices in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy in housing.
Promoted information and knowledge exchange among housing professionals to avoid duplication of research and mistakes and to share positive experiences.
Gathered enablers of the energy transition from all sectors to work in partnership at national and European level as part of POWER HOUSE EUROPE platforms.

Furthermore, POWER HOUSE EUROPE provided:

Information on legal, institutional and financial measures which can make the difference.
Training material for social housing employees including software applications to aid decision-making, planning and asset management.
Pioneering examples of both retrofitting of older properties and low energy new construction. Access to information and peer reviews on products and services and an opportunity to contact counterparts around the EU.
Tried and tested examples of effective partnerships with residents, ICT applications for empowering residents and housing managers to cut their bills and track and reduce their resource consumption.
Updates on new developments in EU funding and legislation related to energy efficiency and renewables.

Specific Objectives of POWER HOUSE EUROPE were:

To function as a catalyst to trigger action to achieve energy saving in the residential sector by main streaming existing know-how required to refurbish and build housing with optimal energy consumption levels.
To maximize the impact of outputs of projects supported by IEE aimed at accelerating retrofitting of social housing with active hands-on targeted dissemination and knowledge exchange campaigns at national level to promote the deployment of outputs.
To create a knowledge centre which will provide centralized access to best practices, tools and proposals.
To promote the exchange of knowledge and best practice through conferences, publications and study visits.
To inform social housing organisations on the range of information available to them and encourage their uptake through targeted customised dissemination and information campaigns at national level.

Establishment of the National Platform Power House Bulgaria

'Synergy into Energy Efficiency for Housing'

The short-term objectives of the National Platform were to disseminate the project results among specialized national umbrella branch associations of all actors involved in energy efficiency of housing, public institutions aimed to regulate the energy efficiency aspects of housing provision, management, maintenance and renovation and residents of condominium multi-storey apartment buildings and their associations. The long-term objectives were to stimulate innovative policy, financial and technical mechanisms for the improvement of energy efficiency in housing, to mobilize the private and public investments required for the implementation of development strategies – investigating the Private Public Partnership opportunities, and to identify challenges and actions related to education and training opportunities with regard to maintaining and enhancing a high-skilled work force in the medium-to long term perspective. The main goal of the National Platform fitted the 20/20/20 objectives of the EU since the residential sector in Bulgaria consumed 26% from the energy Therefore, the activities of the Platform aimed the implementation in the residential sector of the requirements postulated by the legal norms transposing the EU documents in the national legislation – the National long-term Program for Energy Efficiency until 2015, the Bulgarian Energy Strategy, and the National Housing Renovation Program.

The National Platform Power House Bulgaria elaborated a National Toolkit targeted at all platform members in order to enable them to use the collected engine of information and resources under the Power House Europe project.

Download:

Mission Statement of the National Platform Power House Bulgaria