Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Energy Management in Municipal Buildings on the Territory of the Town of Vratsa
Vratsa Municipality
Background
A task force from Bulgaria visited Denmark in June 1996 for participation in a seminar devoted to Danish achievements in reducing energy consumption in municipal buildings. The consultants, Energoproekt AD, Sofia, Danish and Spanish experts - conducted an in-depth analysis and inspection of electricity and heating consumption in municipal buildings in the town of Vratsa.
A task force from Bulgaria visited Denmark in June 1996 for participation in a seminar devoted to Danish achievements in reducing energy consumption in municipal buildings. The consultants, Energoproekt AD, Sofia, Danish and Spanish experts - conducted an in-depth analysis and inspection of electricity and heating consumption in municipal buildings in the town of Vratsa.
Practice
Three childcare establishments were selected to implement a pilot project on energy management in municipal buildings with the financial support of the PHARE Program. The project aimed at sharing and inculcation of the Danish experience in reducing energy consumption in municipal buildings. The project was carried out by the Committee for Energy in Sofia, Energoproekt AD, Sofia, Dansk Energy Management, Denmark and Empresarios Agrudapdos Internacional, Spain.
The study and analysis showed that total energy consumption in municipal buildings for the 1995-1996 heating season in the town of Vratsa was distributed as follows:
central heating 73.6%
electricity 10.0%
liquid fuel 16.4%
On the basis of the data, the project priority goal was defined as energy-saving for heating purposes.
The first stage of the project consisted of the creation and equipment of an energy center in Vratsa Municipality and training for an energy manager. The next stage was the training course for house managers of a number of municipal buildings in skilled and precise reading of the existing meters. The local managers notified daily the energy supervisor at the municipality, in person or by telephone, of the metering results. If necessary, they could decide to manually reduce consumption (reduce the flow), in the event of low attendance in the building or appropriate external temperatures. All staff involved in the project worked toward reducing consumption without disrupting creature comforts in the relevant building.
The next stage in the development of the project comprised investment of resources in specific undertakings that would improve and reduce energy consumption in the three municipal buildings: one combined childcare center and two daytime kindergartens. New heating gauges and hot water meters were installed in 27 educational establishments catering for children and urgent repairs of the buildings were completed.
The final seminar was held in October 1997, in Vratsa. There, Danish experts briefed representatives of other municipalities about the experiences and obstacles encountered in the effort to reduce energy consumption.
Three childcare establishments were selected to implement a pilot project on energy management in municipal buildings with the financial support of the PHARE Program. The project aimed at sharing and inculcation of the Danish experience in reducing energy consumption in municipal buildings. The project was carried out by the Committee for Energy in Sofia, Energoproekt AD, Sofia, Dansk Energy Management, Denmark and Empresarios Agrudapdos Internacional, Spain.
The study and analysis showed that total energy consumption in municipal buildings for the 1995-1996 heating season in the town of Vratsa was distributed as follows:
central heating 73.6%
electricity 10.0%
liquid fuel 16.4%
On the basis of the data, the project priority goal was defined as energy-saving for heating purposes.
The first stage of the project consisted of the creation and equipment of an energy center in Vratsa Municipality and training for an energy manager. The next stage was the training course for house managers of a number of municipal buildings in skilled and precise reading of the existing meters. The local managers notified daily the energy supervisor at the municipality, in person or by telephone, of the metering results. If necessary, they could decide to manually reduce consumption (reduce the flow), in the event of low attendance in the building or appropriate external temperatures. All staff involved in the project worked toward reducing consumption without disrupting creature comforts in the relevant building.
The next stage in the development of the project comprised investment of resources in specific undertakings that would improve and reduce energy consumption in the three municipal buildings: one combined childcare center and two daytime kindergartens. New heating gauges and hot water meters were installed in 27 educational establishments catering for children and urgent repairs of the buildings were completed.
The final seminar was held in October 1997, in Vratsa. There, Danish experts briefed representatives of other municipalities about the experiences and obstacles encountered in the effort to reduce energy consumption.
Results
As a result of the measures undertaken during the first stage of the project that did not require additional investments, performance during the 1996-1997 heating season was assuring - savings of between 14% to 36% in the different municipal buildings.
Due to the more earnest undertakings carried out during the second stage of the project, after the close of the 1997-1998 heating season, savings varied between 22% to 35% in reduced consumption of heating in the monitored municipal buildings.
An important outcome of the project was the conviction of municipal authorities that the project had to continue so as to reduce energy consumption, made indispensable by the acute shortage of resources in the municipal budget. Procurement is planned for gauges for the automatic metering of heating consumption for much of municipal facilities such as schools and kindergartens. The promotion of the project output and equipping all substations in town with heating meters quickly resulted in an increase in the number of citizens who installed personal metering gauges.
As a result of the measures undertaken during the first stage of the project that did not require additional investments, performance during the 1996-1997 heating season was assuring - savings of between 14% to 36% in the different municipal buildings.
Due to the more earnest undertakings carried out during the second stage of the project, after the close of the 1997-1998 heating season, savings varied between 22% to 35% in reduced consumption of heating in the monitored municipal buildings.
An important outcome of the project was the conviction of municipal authorities that the project had to continue so as to reduce energy consumption, made indispensable by the acute shortage of resources in the municipal budget. Procurement is planned for gauges for the automatic metering of heating consumption for much of municipal facilities such as schools and kindergartens. The promotion of the project output and equipping all substations in town with heating meters quickly resulted in an increase in the number of citizens who installed personal metering gauges.
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