ENERGY DAYS TIMIŞOARA - 18^TH and 19^TH JUNE 2012

As the future of energy and climate changes have become topics of great interest, the European Union (EU) decided in 2006 to dedicate to sustainable energy a whole week every year.

European Sustainable Energy Week, the initiative of the European Commission is the most important series of events in the energy field in Europe being part of the European Campaign for Sustainable Energy. The event is organized by EACI (Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) in close collaboration with the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission.

The campaign contributes to the EU objectives in energy policy regarding renewable energy, energy efficiency, transport and alternative fuels, being designed to disseminate best practices and inspire new ideas that can help meeting EU energy and climate goals.

The event aims to highlight the benefits and the strategic importance of the adoption and timely transposition of European Directives into national legislation, presenting new technologies and evidence of successful energy projects.

Decision makers in industry, business and research have had an important role in sustainable energy development and energy technologies. Our role is to ensure that citizens become aware of the opportunities offered by these technologies and measures to exploit the potential of intelligent energy use.

Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign aims to ensure that we, the citizens of Europe, use energy in a more intelligent way in all aspects of daily life - in homes, schools, offices, when using vehicles. In pursuing these objectives, the European Commission has supported organizing Energy Days in Europe with the help this campaign.

Every year, hundreds of organizations and citizens participate in the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW-EU Sustainable Energy Week) by hosting events and actions within the Energy Day, which promote energy efficiency and its production from renewable sources. Events of this type create a direct relationship between citizens and local, regional or national suppliers.

Within this campaign, Energy Day is defined as a non-profit event, an activity, a project that promotes energy efficiency and its production from renewable sources.

Launched in 2005, "EU Sustainable Energy Week" maintains direct contact of the citizens with the stakeholders at national, regional and local levels regarding energy-related objectives set at the European level, being one of the events that generate new ideas and actions. This year, the Energy Week includes a high-level conference in Brussels, with an attendance of about 4,000 people. Likewise, within the European Union, over 800 Energy Days will be organized and significant prizes for outstanding results achieved in sustainable development will be awarded.

The City of Timişoara organised in 18^th and19^th of June 2012 the second edition of the conference “Energy Days 2012 Timişoara”, at the Regional Business Centre located in no. 22 Eroilor de la Tisa Blvd. This event was included in the campaign ‘SUSTAINABLE ENERGY WEEK IN THE EUROPEAN UNION – 18^TH-22^ND JUNE 2012, and was organised in cooperation with the European Union and other interested parties. The event allowed participants, institutions, companies, local public authorities and all parties interested to benefit not only from the opportunities and the advantages offered by a better and highly intelligent use of energy but also from information regarding the necessary measures related to renewable energies.

This event was organised by the municipality of Timişoara, both as partner in the Covenant of Mayors and participant in the project „An inclusive peer-to-peer approach to involve EU CONURBation and wide urban areas in participating to the CovenANT of Mayors”, code IEE/10/380/SI 2.589427, financed by the European Commission through the programme Intelligent Energy Europe.

There were several sections of the event: an overview of Strategies concerning climate changes, a presentation of an Action Plan concerning ways of fighting, minimising and adapting to climate changes, an overview of the current results generated by measures and actions of greenhouse-effect gas emissions, as well as ways of using renewable energy sources in future projects of the municipality of Timişoara in the areas of EE and RES.

On 18^th June the conference agenda included 2 sections:

SECTION 1 – The Covenant of Mayors – the development of Action Plans for sustainable energies and the projects run by the local authorities, associations and companies;

SECTION II – Energy efficiency and renewable energies – a priority for sustainable development -the communitarian involvement of ROSENC Energy Cluster.

The following papers were delivered:

1. The presentation of the project “An inclusive peer-to-peer approach to involve EU CONURBation and wide urban areas in participating to the CovenANT of Mayors”, code IEE/10/380/SI 2.589427, run through the Programme Intelligent Energy Europe”-Mrs Iudit BERE–SEMEREDI, Environmental Councillor- Timişoara Town hall – Project Manager;
2. Sustainable Urban Planning – challenges in the city of Timişoara– Mrs Gabriela FISTIŞ, Executive Director, DENKSTATT ROMÂNIA;
3. NETCOM European Project and the Romanian Covenant of Mayors – Mrs Camelia RAŢĂ, Executive Direcctor, Association ENERGY CITIES ROMÂNIA;
4. Legal aspects in running a project in the field of renewable energies – Mrs Andreea IANCU, partner in HAŢEGAN Law-Practice office

The second section included the following papers:

1. Co-operation structures for energetic efficiency in Timişoara Conurbation – Mr Radu DIMECA, President of ROSENC România, Sustainable Energies Cluster;
2. European Policies of efficient energetic retrofitting of buildings - Ioan Silviu DOBOŞI MSc. PhD, Vice-president of AIIR/REHVA, Ştefan Dună MSc. PhD, Executive Director S.C. DOSETIMPEX S.R.L.;
3. Study of energy consumption in a block of flats – Str. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr. 90, sc. A - B, Timişoara - Victor MANEA – engineer at S.C.DOSETIMPEX S.R.L.Timişoara
4. My old fridge and greenhouse effect gas emissions – Mrs Andreea IDRICEANU-CALEV, Communications Manager at Romanian Recycling Association, RoRec;
5. Discussions – Urban development vs. Sustainable development

The Conference organized on June 19, 2012 had two sections:

SECTION I - Implementation of measures and actions of Sustainable Energy Action Plans;

SECTION II - Practical experiences of the local communities in implementing Sustainable Energy Action Plans;

The following papers were presented in the first section:

1. Best practice in implementing sustainable energy plans in the twin city Karlsruhe, Dr. Thomas SCHNEPF, Karlsruhe City Hall;
2. Composting station – Investment for Timisoara, Mr. Florin CEPĂNARIU, General Manager of SC "RETIM ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE" SA Timisoara;
3. Upgrading the capacity of heating production, a priority for Timisoara - Mr. Ivantie Ruşeţ - COLTERM SA Timişoara;
4. The role of Timis Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in smart development of region / city - Mrs. Menuţa Iovescu, General Manager of Timis Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

The following papers were presented in the second section:

1. Applied Biotechnology for local and regional energy security - Mr. Teodor Vintila, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Banat - Department of Biotechnology;
2. Willow energy – a solution for agriculture, energy and environment - Mrs. Cornelia MOS General Manager of S. C. REBINA AGRAR SRL;
3. Energy efficiency in schools - Mrs Aida SZILAGYI, President of the National Centre for Sustainable Production and Consumption - Romania;
4. Separate collection of waste - Mr. Massimo BODIO, Vice-president of ASOBIO Association, Romania;
5. Local community - a key factor in helping reduce energy consumption and environmental  protection in households - Mrs. Mariana - Nicoleta Barbuta, ICEMENERG researcher;
6. Photovoltaic applications for home - Mr. Nicholae Popescu, SC EETIM SA

Discussion Forum - Opportunities and obstacles in planning and financing investment in sustainable energy.

91 participants were present în the Conference day în 19^th June 2012 a, 108 participants in the second day of the conference,  representatives of local public authorities in Timiş and Caraş–Severin counties, mayors or public servants from the 16 areas of Timişoara conurbation, from public institutions, agencies and companies, academics, researchers, members of clusters and business circles, guests from twin cities of Timişoara, of District Consultative Councils, non-governmental organizations, interested citizens.

The topics of papers, discussions and conclusions ranged from the current and on-going debates related to good practices for environmental protection and efficient energetic consumption, to ways of promoting alternative technologies for sustainable development, in view of fighting and reducing the effects of climate change and also reaching the objective of at least a 20% reduction of CO₂ emissions in the city of Timişoara and the areas of Timişoara conurbation.

The attendance of guests from Hungary and Karlsruhe gave us the opportunity to gain knowledge about the experiences of sustainable development of a city that is advanced from the point of view of EE and RES and learn about the experience of Szeged city. The possibility of Szeged’s joining the Covenant of Mayors was considered, in order to benefit from support from Timişoara municipality regarding PAED development.

The participation of the Association ENERGY CITIES ROMANIA gave us further information about possible measures of energetic efficiency in public and private buildings, with a case study presented and the agricultural solutions suggested and proven effective in the residential sector – the energetic willow crops.

The active involvement of the Sustainable Energy Cluster in the future regional forum for sustainable development, to support the implementation of CONURBANT project was highly important. The common goal is to promote Romania, the Western part and Timiş county, in the long run, as leader in the renewable energies sector, as energetic efficiency promoter, as participant in international networks, or project supervisor of growing competitiveness between participants in the association.

It has become thus easier to access support structures and action network of the energy cluster after comprehensive information given about the Covenant of Mayors in the local public authorities system of Timiş county and after learning about the possibilities of developing and implementing measures and actions from Durable Energies Action Plan – PAED.

During this event, exhibitions were organised in partnership with the Chamber of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce Timiş and ROSENC cluster of Sustainable Energies – the 6th edition of „ENERGY OF THE FUTURE”, the first edition of the section „ THE CITY OF TOMORROW’ and „CLUSTERS SHOWROOM”. The aim of these exhibitions was to promote energetic efficiency, conventional and unconventional energies, products and services and integrative solutions of renewable energies.

Different specialized firms displayed their products and services, Romanian, Serbian and Hungarian consultancies presented their expertise. The Town hall of Timişoara exhibited the results from public local authorities and public service companies in the implementation of PAED and some locally, nationally and internationally financed projects in the field of energy efficiency.

Several devices, equipment, installations were presented in the exhibition, all of them using renewable energies, practical demonstrations were run and deals were closed.

The conference “Energy Days 2012 Timişoara”, 18^th-19^th June 2012, an event included in the campaign ‘SUSTAINABLE ENERGY WEEK IN THE EUROPEAN UNION – 18^TH-22^ND JUNE 2012, alongside the exhibition ENERGY OF THE FUTURE”, the first edition of the section „ THE CITY OF TOMORROW’ was an excellent opportunity for new partnerships with the common goal of exploring and exploiting renewable resources and promoting the actions of the Covenant of Mayors.

Thus, the CONURBANT project benefitted from exchange of ideas and information through the project „LINking businesses with environment friendly technologies products and services”, financed by the European Union through the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Hungary-Romania 2007-2013, in which CCIAT is a partner. The development of urban infrastructure and the growth of life standards and quality in the rural and urban areas has become a major point of interest of not only local and regional administrations but also private companies, which contributes to the growing importance of Energy Days and exhibitions in the field of durable energies. We are certain that this event has reached its set objectives and has been highly successful due to a variety and high quality of materials displayed, due to the products and services exhibited and presented in the exhibitions, thanks to free discussions and exchange of ideas in the field of durable and sustainable energies that have led to fruitful partnerships and business deals.