On March 19, 2024 within the framework of the REVERTER project, a training session was held for energy ambassadors with the aim of familiarizing them with the objectives of the project and the expected impact of the visit to households in the Municipality of Brezovo.The event was organized by municipality of Brezovo and Green Synergy Cluster, partners in the REVERTER project, which aims to reduce energy poverty in the region by creating renovation roadmaps for increasing energy efficiency in residential buildings and to develop One Stop Shop for renovation in municipality of Brezovo.
This event represented an important step in the preparation of volunteers who will play a key role in promoting energy efficiency and sustainability of households in the municipality. The training program was extensive and included various topics related to the role and responsibilities of energy ambassadors, as well as specific aspects of counseling households and promoting energy efficiency in households.
The training started with an introduction to the REVERTER project, where the goals, methods and expected results of the project were presented. The training program focused on the role that the energy ambassadors will play within the project, highlighting the key aspects of their activity and what is expected of them, namely – a general energy assessment of energy efficiency in the household, imparting knowledge about easily accessible and low-budget methods for improving energy efficiency in households, sharing information about project initiatives, as well as existing mechanisms for financing households.
During the training, the steps for effective energy consulting to households were discussed, including how to prepare for the visits, and how to conduct the overall communication to support them in the decision-making process to improve their energy efficiency.
The initiative in the Municipality of Brezovo – One-stop shop for renovation was also presented at the training, which will be implemented both through a physical office and through a digital platform to support the overall process of building renovation.
The training continued with specialized topics on energy efficiency in households. Here, the ambassadors were introduced to the main energy consumers in households, opportunities for implementing renewable energy sources, energy saving tips and the main stages of home renovation.
According to a social survey carried out on the project, the main problems with energy inefficiency of the buildings that exist in the municipality of Brezovo are:
- Poor insulation
- Compromised joinery
- Problems with the roof structure
- Inefficient heating devices and sources
- Inefficient household appliances
These problems lead to high energy bills and poor living conditions. Through visits to households by energy ambassadors and the implementation of the One-Stop-Shop for renovation Brezovo Municipality, the project aims to contribute to the positive change in the lives of citizens, reduce their bills and increase their well-being.
The project is financed by the LIFE program of the European Union under GA No. 101076277.
The project consortium: The project started in November 2022, implemented by a consortium consisting of 12 partners – National Technical University of Athens – Laboratory of Mining and Environmental Technologies (Greece), which is also the coordinator of the project, Institute of Systems and Robotics (Portugal ), Ekodoma Ltd. (Latvia), Green Synergy Cluster (Bulgaria), Fundació Europace (Spain), Foundation Center for Renewable Energy Sources and Savings (Greece), B-Link (Spain), Municipality of Brezovo (Bulgaria), EKPIZO – Consumer Association “Quality of Life ” (Greece), Municipality of Coimbra (Portugal), “Riga Energy Agency” (Latvia) and WIT Berry (Latvia).
