President of the Centre for Global Studies "Strategy XXI", Mykhailo Gonchar, officially opened the final seminar of the series sharing experience between V4 and Ukraine and introduced to Polish expert Arkadiusz Ratajczak, experienced legal counsel, former deputy director of the Department for the Promotion of Competition in Energy Regulatory Office.
The first session about energy efficiency in the government’s policy agenda with actual information about specifics of policy developments and legislation raised significant interest by the audience. Having experience of work for Energy Regulatory Office, the speaker was able to answer questions about several topics, which are little known to wide public, in particular about reasons of energy intensity reduction, RES tariffs and development, national energy efficiency discussion, failed and successful instruments and challenges ahead.
During the second session, participants got information on Polish experience of governmental engagement in energy efficiency issues on the level of ministries and special institutions, as for instance National Fund for Environment Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), Thermomodernisation and Repairs Fund.
A. Ratajczak explained in detail the role of European financial support for energy efficiency, available financial mechanisms, including relations between national and EU financial mechanisms. It was of great importance for the audience as Ukraine’s government has been developing new instruments for operational and accessible European financial support.
The speaker made also very detailed presentation about the role of business in energy efficiency projects, approaches and practices of public-private partnerships, role of planning for less than seven-year periods of national action plans on energy efficiency, some innovative sources and mechanisms of energy efficiency project financing, including third party financing, energy performance contracting and energy service companies. He delivered also information on practical lessons learned from different types of financing, relations between consumers and contractors according to particular agreements and effects from undertaken activities for energy savings. As the audience expressed demand for some very technical and statistical data, the dialogue will continue via e-mails.
Discussions continued also during the lunch, particular interest was expressed also to the issues of policy making in Poland, as well as drafting of laws, consideration of interests from different industrial groups, lobbying activities and comparison of situation with energy efficiency in different regions.
The afternoon sessions were dedicated to the issues of practical projects. A. Ratajczak made presentation on results of lighting system modernization in Jaworzno in 2007, buildings housing educational institutions in the Radzionków and modernization of public buildings in Karczew. Here special emphasizes was made on contractual relations, types of agreements and outcomes. Specific questions about technical solutions were left for further dialog via e-mails.
Accordingd to the speaker, Poland has provided several information campaigns through national institutions like Polish National Energy Conservation Agency, as well as initiatives of local authorities and educational bodies. He stressed that despite many efforts, still significant part of the populations cares not much about energy efficiency with conclusions about necessity to combine enforcement and incentive measures with precise attention to education of children from early age, as the matter of energy efficiency should become a part of natural behavior.
The seminar ended with a ceremony of certificate awarding to participants, made by the president of the Centre for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”. Totally 46 participants from SAEE, NAER, Ministry of energy, Ministry of regional development, Ministry of infrastructure, Ministry of finance, Ministry of Social Policy and Ministry of Environment.
