Overview
Objectives of RES-Integration
The project’s objectives can be generalised in two main topics:
- Significantly increase the share of renewable sources of energy to particular regions of participating countries, thus with beneficial effects, among other sectors, for CO2 emissions and job creation.
- Develop cost effective local renewable solutions integrated to sectors with significant social and environmental dimension at selected poor regions.
Through the project, specific Integrated Renewable Energy Systems (IRES) will be proposed for sustainable development of each Region. The term IRES describes an energy system with an optimal energetic autonomy including food production and if any excesses are produced, energy exports. Energy production and consumption at the region shall be sustainable and eventually based mainly on Renewable Energy sources. It includes a combination of different possibilities for non-polluting energy production, such as modern wind and solar electricity production, as well as the production of energy from biomass and any other renewable sources.
Target regions
This project brings together project partners from Greece, Germany, Italy, Serbia, FYROM and Albania, under the coordination of the Agricultural University of Athens (more information on the partners can be found under 'Consortium'). Each project partner selected one rural underdeveloped target region which is given in the following:
Greece: Milos Island, Cyclades Islands
Germany / Austria: Achental, Bavaria / Leukental, Tyrol
Italy: Mountain Community of Limina, Calabria
Serbia and Montenegro: Kragujevac-Knic
FYROM: Podbelasica region
Albania: Bregu region
Tasks
In the target regions the following tasks will be performed:
- Analysis of the current energy situation in the region
- Analysis of the energy sources
- Analysis of the energy consumption by sector. Space and time distribution of the consumption - Study the local energy potential. Space and time distribution
- Definition of development scenarios for each of the selected target region
- Development a prototype model (expert system) for the implementation of IRES in the target regions
- Proposition of specific IRES and development policy to be applied in the region through the developed model (expert system)
- Socio-Economic and Environmental considerations
- Dissemination activities
The results of the analyses for each region will supply the local governments with detailed Action Plans for regional sustainable development.
Results
- A model for defining the optimum local combination (integration at regional level) of Renewable Energy (RE) technologies according to the specific conditions, needs and particularities of the selected regions.
- Analyses of the socio economic and environmental impacts of the defined IRESs for each region. The assessment of the impacts will provide an evaluation of the viability of the proposed IRES schemes as well as a socio-economic repercussion for each region.
- Integration of project results into existing and planned international aid and development schemes for each region. There will be defined certain fields of action like dissemination and awareness raising, installation of knowledge centres, institutes and financial incentives.
- Dissemination activities in order to create initiatives that shall stimulate the market development in the agricultural and energy sector of EU and Candidate Countries. These activities include the preparation of a brochure with a summary of the IRES model and its results, an audio-visual tool (CD-ROM) and six workshops, one in each participating country.