SINLOC LEADS ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS WITH “EUROPEAN LOCAL ENERGY ASSISTANCE”

Since 2011, Sinloc has been an advisor for large-scale energy efficiency improvement projects supported by ELENA “European Local ENergy Assistance” Funds. These technical assistance funds help local and regional authorities develop and implement investments in energy efficiency improvements and sustainable energy. The European Commission in collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB) has launched the ELENA program as part of the Horizon 2020 Funds, through Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) funds.

The projects are aimed at promoting and activating energy efficiency investments by Energy Performance Contracts (EPC) assignments for public buildings and public lighting systems energy renovation, with significant energy saving targets, through access to EIB loans.

In particular, the activities carried out by Sinloc as part of the ELENA initiatives concern, in addition to certain project phases coordination, the identification of operations optimal structure to achieve economic and financial sustainability and proper risks allocation. As part of tender preparation, in collaboration with its legal partner, Sinloc oversees the structuring of technical and economic assessment algorithms to select the competing ESCOs and the mechanisms to calculate their remuneration.

The ELENA projects in which SINLOC is involved envisage an investment volume of over € 150 million, of which around € 80 million has already been activated.

Sinloc’s support to ELENA programs in Milan metropolitan area and the Provinces of Chieti and L’Aquila is now complete, while the support for the project concerning the Provinces of Padua, Rovigo and Belluno is currently underway. Some details of the project:

• ELENA Milan Project – “Energy Efficiency Milan Covenant of Mayors” (2011 – 2014) aimed at the energy-related renovation of 350 public buildings in the province, with energy saving targets of around 35%. During the entire support period, generated investments amounted to € 46.7 million.
• ELENA Chieti Project – “Chieti Towards 2020” (2013 – 2015), aimed at improving the energy efficiency of 150 public buildings and 50,000 lighting points located in the Province of Chieti and in the Province of L’Aquila, for an activated investment volume of € 37 million and an average energy saving target of at least 40% on public lighting and 20% for buildings.
• ELENA Padova, Rovigo and Belluno Project – “3L project – less energy, less costs, less impact” (2014 – in progress). It improves the energy efficiency of public buildings and 100,000 light points located in the Provinces of Padua, Rovigo and Belluno, as well as assessing the possibility of awarding concessions to construct or extend district heating networks and manage the related buildings, through access to EIB financing. The target investments amount to a total of € 60 million; at the current stage of the project, the investments generated are €30 million. The procedures for awarding contracts are currently underway.

Through technical support, it was possible to create value for customers and for the territories involved. The activities led to structuring complex initiatives over a large area, developing the procedural, design and financial aspects.

Counterparties benefited from comprehensive legal, administrative, economic, financial, and technical assistance, which allowed issuing innovative tenders in order to select the ESCOs to implement the projects, under a contract type (Energy Performance Contract), which provides Public Authorities with greater guarantees and assurance on achievable energy savings.

Initiatives realization also creates a significant benefit in the area for what concerns environmental benefits related to energy savings and CO₂ emissions, in addition to improving quality of services and safety for residents, because of interventions on public buildings and public lighting systems.

With this experience and expertise, and by consolidating its leadership in this important segment of infrastructure market, Sinloc has launched other initiatives in the field of technical support. Sinloc has successfully tendered for other projects with different partners, including the FESTA project (Fostering local energy investments in the Province of Matera) within the Horizon Program, and the “Territori Virtuosi” project, promoted by the Cariplo Foundation. This latter involved several municipalities in Lombardy in the Provinces of Milan, Varese, Cremona, and Mantua.