Nov 04 2020
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Webinar: “YESClima Young experts for climate-friendly schools in Mediterranean countries”

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“YESClima:Young experts for climate-friendly schools in Mediterranean countries”

Final Event YesClima 2020 | GREECE“

5/11/2020, at 16.00-18.00

An online discussion on “youth work on climate protection and energy saving”, organized by Anemos Renovation in the framework of the EUKI YESclima program on Thursday 5/11, from 16.00-18.00 (the discussion will be in Greek).

The event, which will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube, will discuss with specific examples how climate protection contributes to the creation of new quality, green jobs and reduces costs for heating and cooling of public and private buildings.

WHEN? -> at the 5th of November,

WHERE? -> in the WELCOMMON Hostel, an innovative hostel with social impact and a center for social innovation dedicated to promote green and circular economy and employment in green, social and cultural sectors

but also! in our online event on facebook & youtube!!

We would be more than happy to invite you to take part in this event, in order to exchange knowledge, experiences and good practises for more climate-friendly buildings and educational centers as well as for green jobs on energy efficiency and climate protection.

The program of the event is:

  • 16.00 Greetings and description of the project carried out within the framework of EUKI YESclima by Nikos Chrysogelos (President of the Social Cooperative: “Wind of Renewal”)

  • 16:10 Greetings by Francisco José Sánchez de la Flor, (Professor Titular de Cadiz University, Director of the Department of Machines and Thermal Engines, Superior School of Engineering. Universidad de Cádiz, Spain, project coordinator (English))

  • 16.15 “Results of energy control project in 9 school buildings and a hostel within YESclima”: Dimitra Beleri, (architect), Ioanna-Athina Georgopoulou (building physicist).

  • 16.35 “Experience from my participation in the YESclima project”: Agapi-Evangelia Tsampazi (Civil Engineer AUTh., M.Sc., Ecology Program Coordinator, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Foundation, Greece)

  • 16.45 “Climate protection and energy saving in Municipality’s  schools – the experience of cooperation in the framework of the EUKI-YESclima program”: Maria Androutsou, (Mayor of Agios Dimitrios)

  • 16.55 “Climate protection and energy saving in Municipality’s  schools – the experience of cooperation in the framework of the EUKI-YESclima program”: Alexis Mavragannis (Deputy Mayor of Vrilissia)

  • 17.05 “From the level of the building we are now moving to the level of the neighborhood – interactions and new approaches at European level”, Michalis Goudis (Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Foundation, Greece, former communications manager of Housing Europe, the European Federation of Public and Private Michalis Goudis)

  • 17.20 Discussion – Interventions, questions and answers (Q&A)

  • 17.45 Closing by N. Chrysogelos

The event in Spain 

Energy saving and natural heating – cooling systems

Natural heating and cooling methods use less energy and are frequently more economical. However, many educational buildings in Spain and Greece use expensive and energy-consuming heating and air conditioning systems instead of more efficient and climate-friendly solutions. The condition of most of the educational centres should be improved. It is a fact that more climate-friendly solutions are rarely used.

The YESclima project is an EUKI program that aims to train young experts in energy related topics, to carry out energy audits in primary schools and to provide advice to the municipalities involved in the project. With their practice and additional training, the project goal is to increase their chances of working while at the same time contributing to reducing emissions from heating and cooling in public buildings.

In the framework of the program “YESClima: Young people working for climate protection and energy saving” 11 young people from Greece, organized in 3 groups, after a theoretical training and practicing for 6 months, they acquired knowledge, skills and abilities so that they can work professionally in energy saving techniques in buildings. All three of the teams, firstly, visited 8 educational centers in Athens in order to evaluate their energy audits based on the existing equipment and newly acquired knowledge. After that, their task was to compose technical essays where the current energy behaviour of the buildings is estimated and elaborate on measures and techniques that could improve the the indoor climate and thermal comfort as well as provide data concerning the energy savings in the heating and cooling of buildings, and thus also economic savings for the local authorities that manage the schools.

In Greece this project is organized by the Social Cooperative “Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal” with the collaboration of two municipalities of Attica, Ag. Demetrios and Vrilissia, the University of Cádiz-Andalusia (UCA), the Provincial Energy Agency of Cadiz (APEC), the Sekretariat für Zukunftsstudien Berlin an der Freien Universität Berlin.

This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The EUKI competition for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.’

Nov 01 2020
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Lucile: volunteering during COVID-19 for social green innovation in Athens

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I am Lucile, twenty-two years old and I am doing my second year of a master’s degree in international and humanitarian law in France. This summer I wanted to travel and be useful at the same time so I decided to spend 2 months as a volunteer with Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal in Welcommon Hostel! I found the ideal place where I could enjoy a beautiful city, meet great people, and help the refugees with organizing the activities and giving language classes.

I- About the classes
Because of Covid-19, the classes were limited to five students. In the beginning, it was a real challenge to respect the sanitary conditions and to guarantee a good atmosphere. The students had to keep a distance from each other, wear a mask, the most difficult thing was to talk with the mask… It wasn’t easy to teach with these circumstances but it wasn’t impossible either. I can say that, little by little, the volunteers and also the students, we all adapted to the situation.

Thomas, a volunteer, who had been in the project since March, created different level groups : beginner, intermediate, and advanced English speaker. I took care of three groups of “English beginners” and one group of “ french beginners”.

My first class was difficult because there were two families with children from different ages (ten to fifteen years old). Moreover, although they seemed to be all beginners, it turned out that some of them couldn’t read and write at all, the others were able to speak a little bit, and the third group was only able to read and write in english. And they all wanted to be in the same group.

Also, I had a real culture shock, because for the first time in my life I spoke and met people from Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey etc… They were speaking a lot in Farsi together and with the different dialects of farsi which made me a little bit confused at the beginning. In addition, they are not used to learning English.

So, Thomas and I had to find a solution which allows everyone to feel good, and which respects the sanitary conditions. We decided to divide the people into two groups of five : one with the children and one with the adults. Also, during the class, Sajad, one student, who could speak English and Farsi, helped me a lot. He did a translation between Farsi and English, which permitted me to understand much better the students and vice versa. Step by step, we put in place an organisation that worked and the classes became better for me and for my students.

I also taught French with another group of beginners. I was very surprised to discover that teaching your own native language can be sometimes so hard! I thought before that English was more difficult, but actually it’s completely the opposite. I had a group of five students who were very interested in French, so they were motivated and we could see a lot of things in two months! Such a pleasure to be a teacher with students who are interested in your class.

As a first experience, being a teacher was a big advantage for me. Before coming here, I had no idea how to organize a class, or how to teach… I didn’t know what to expect. Thanks to that, it was very easy for me to adapt myself to students’ needs. I was happy to be there, share my knowledge and have fun with my students. At the same time I also improved in english. As we had a lot of autonomy in our activities of how to organize a class, I let my creativity speak!

II- About the activities
Concerning the activities, it was a good opportunity to speak, to share the experiences between volunteers and refugees and to see beautiful places in Athens. For example, we went to Likavitos and Phillopapos. From the hostel, it’s easy to go there, and you don’t need any money. So everyone can go ! Visiting these places was a good opportunity to see the students in another context, out of the class, and discover beautiful views and monuments together. Also, with Tosia (another volunteer), we organised a treasure hunt in the National Garden. This means that students were in the teams of five/six (3 teams in total) and with the map the goal was to accomplish as many activities as possible in one afternoon. It was very fun to play together and experience a good team spirit.

Also, we organised a French and Afghan movie. We only needed a projector, one room, two old posters, pillows, a lot of popcorn and we were ready to watch a movie! It was relaxing and a warm moment that we shared together: with the reception staff, students, and the volunteers.

With some students, we also did game nights and played “Time’s up”, which is a rapidity game. This game is a perfect way to learn english vocabulary and have fun at the same time.

In the hostel, we also organised a “crêpes party” with my French students, in the idea of discovering a little of french culture. We prepared together the pastry, cooked and made them jump in a french way, and after all these efforts, we ate them all together! During this evening, we shared a good meal and played funny games. Such a good moment spent together !

I really enjoyed my stay here, in Welcommun Hostel ! Athens is a beautiful city full of colours and good vibes, and the Welcommon is a warm and welcoming place. The hostel is located close to the city centre, in Exarchia. It’s a beautiful place and it’s easy to go out and find a good beer or a good souvlaki. I met great people from different places with a different culture background. With the reception staff and the other volunteers and staff, I could see a true solidarity between us.

My volunetering was supported by the European Solidarity Corps Erasmus program as part of the project “Social Green Innovation for Youth” implemented by the social cooperative Anemos Ananeosis / Wind of Renewal

Oct 27 2020
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Sifnos: leaving the local community out of the energy transition is not acceptable

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To

– European Commissioner, Executive Vice-President of the Commission, Mr. Frans Timmermans

– European Commissioner for Energy, Ms. Kadri Simson

– Covenant of Mayors

– Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat

– REScoop.eu

– Media

TOPIC: PROVISION OF SUPPORT TO SIFNOS IN THE EFFORT OF ITS LOCAL SOCIETY TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT THE ENERGY TRANSITION

Dear all,

Sifnos is a small island in the Cyclades complex with a long tradition in the wise management of the natural and man-made environment. Having realized the need to jointly contribute to the reduction of pressures on the environment and climate protection, the society of Sifnos tries to be a positive example in the fields of recycling, reduction of plastic bags, preservation of natural and ecological wealth, preservation of traditional settlements and its cultural wealth. Having a long tradition in windmills, in the sustainable management of biomass coming from pruned olive trees and in small boats that are moving with the help of the wind, it is understandable that the local community seeks (once again) a turn to green, renewable energy.

Representatives of the local community have participated in many events in the European Parliament, while also conferences in Greece and other European countries, in order to gain experience and enhance the energy transition of Sifnos through collaborations, such as the European Federation of Citizen Energy Cooperatives REScoop.eu, the Covenant of Mayors, the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat, research agencies and energy organizations. A few years ago, an energy cooperative was also created in Sifnos, in order to contribute to the energy transition of the island in a green future.

While, however, Sifnos:

-Participates in the formulation of its energy transition plan in a way that guarantees energy democracy, namely through a democratic and participatory process, so that all citizens of Sifnos have a say in how energy will be produced and employed for the needs of the island, but also for the residents themselves to have control over the investments that need to be made.

– Awaits the official response and comments to the application submitted to the Energy Regulatory Authority (RAE) by the Energy Cooperative of Sifnos for a renewable energy production project (the application is pending since 2016, without being officially rejected or without any final changes being proposed in this project),

the municipal authority accidentally finds out that 4 licenses for the production of energy from renewable sources on the island have already been granted through express procedures to companies that have neither a connection with Sifnos nor have informed the local community and the Municipality about their plans. If these plans are implemented, two companies will actually control about 80% of the electricity that the island needs today. In fact, responding to a relevant phone call of the Mayor, asking for official information, the following provocative answer was given: “the licensing process does not provide for an obligation to inform the municipal authority and the local community.”

Similar practices that leave the local community OUT of the processes of planning and implementing the energy transition have led to distrust and strong reactions on many islands with regards to RES investment plans imposed externally, instead of being the result of participatory planning and active participation of the local community. They also conflict with the European policy and legislation.

The authorities that provided licenses to the 4 investment projects provocatively ignored that:

– Sifnos is one of the leading islands at European level in terms of energy transition, having planned, in cooperation with European and national bodies, its transition to clean energy with the participation of the local community. All the relevant decisions have been taken after extensive dialogue, visits to other islands, cooperation with European bodies and in a unanimous basis by the Municipal Council of Sifnos.

– The society of Sifnos has realized the need to protect the climate, since, we, the islanders, are already experiencing the dramatic effects of climate change and we are particularly exposed to the climate crisis, the increase of the average temperature and the expansion of the desert zone to our region (these include the danger of desertification of lands that have been wisely preserved and supported the survival of the inhabitants for thousands of years, reduction of rainfall and reversal of the water balance), extreme weather events, which are connected with catastrophic consequences for the coastal zone and the island’s economy, dramatic effects on crops and the sensitive Mediterranean ecosystem of the island.

– Our island society has a long tradition in environmental protection and problem solving with the active participation of residents, it does not expect others to find and implement solutions for the island, as can be seen by: the wise agricultural practice followed for centuries, which today is discussed (in modern terms) in the context of the European strategy “farm2fork”, the network of thousands of kilometres of dry stone – a cultural monument and model of ecological practice for soil protection used to face climate crisis and to prevent floods, the wise management of the limited water resources (by collecting rainwater, reusing water and ecological management of springs), the bioclimatic design followed by the builders who constructed the traditional settlements, the emergence of important people distinguished in education, artistic activities and politics, which had innovative ideas, interest in the common benefit and good.

– The Municipality of Sifnos is a member of the Covenant of Mayors and is committed to proceed with the energy transition.

– Sifnos has been cooperating with the European Federation of Energy Cooperatives REScoop.eu for about 10 years.

–Sifnos has been selected as one of the six islands supported in their energy transition by the Clean Energy for EU islands Secretariat and for which the Agenda for Clean Energy Transition is being developed, in cooperation with the local community. Basic criteria for the selection of the islands – Sifnos being one of them – are “the active participation of the local community and the local authority of the island, the support provided from the professional and social bodies, etc.”

The 4 licenses mentioned above for the production of energy from renewable sources were given without giving the chance and the priority to the local community to develop its own clean energy transition plan. Neither has there been any information of the Municipal Authority and the Local Society, either by the companies that submitted the applications or by the public authority, as required by the European Strategy for Energy Transition, the Aarhus Treaty on Environmental Information, the European legislation (Clean Energy for All Europeans Package) and the recent “Memorandum of Split“

– On 25/2/2015, the European Commission presenting the Energy Union package stated that “most importantly, our vision is of an Energy Union with citizens at its core, where citizens take ownership of the energy transition, benefit from new technologies to reduce their bills, participate actively in the market, and where vulnerable consumers are protected”.

-The EU’s Clean Energy for All Europeans legislative package, especially Article 18(6) of the RED II, requires that “Member States, along with local and regional authorities when appropriate, develop information, awareness- raising, guidance or training programs to inform consumers how to exercise their rights as active customers, as well as practical aspects, including technical and financial, of developing renewable projects through self-consumption and RECs”. While Article 22 provides that “participants in energy communities are not treated unfairly and unequally”.

– The “Memorandum of Split”, co-signed on 24.06.2020 by the European Commission and 14 Member States, explicitly states that “The Memorandum of Split will provide the necessary support to the islands in preparing their transition programs, while it also promotes citizen participation, commitment and empowerment. In addition, the structured cooperation will facilitate the creation of energy communities on the islands.”. In this context, the “Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat” also provides practical assistance in Sifnos and other islands.

We would like to ask for your active support in our actions, which aim, on the one hand at the immediate revocation of the abovementioned licenses (information of relevant bodies, requests for review before RAE or even a court appeal[1], as decided by Sifnos Municipal Council, letters of protest to the Greek Ministry of Environment and the European Commission) and, on the other hand, at the promotion of energy investments by the local community itself in order to gradually achieve a fair and integrated energy transition of Sifnos with the participation of its residents: energy efficiency and zero-emission buildings (nZEB), production, storage, exchange and use of electricity from RES, transformation of the overall energy model (land transportation, ferry connections, heating / cooling, etc.).

We are at your disposal to discuss ways that you believe that could help our effort, so that Sifnos would lead its energy transition with the participation of citizens and will become a pioneer island of energy democracy, which will boost similar initiatives in many other islands that follow the current energy developments.

Yours sincerely,

Maria Nadali (Mayor of Sifnos)

Thomas Gozadinos (Chairman of the Environment Committee of the Municipality of Sifnos)

Nikos Chrysogelos (former MEP, President of the “WIND OF RENEWAL”)

Dirk Vansintjan (president of REScoop.eu)

[1] In order to implement the No. 124/2020 decision of the Municipal Council of Sifnos, the following requests for revision were submitted on 13.07.2020 before RAE against:

  • RAE decision no. 530/2020, which granted a license for electricity generation from a Hybrid Power Plant with a guaranteed power of 1 MW, consisting of a photovoltaic station with a power of 1.99 MW, at the location “Herronisos – Honi” (application no.: I-285246 / 13.7.2020),
  • RAE decision no. 531/2020, which granted a license for electricity generation from a Hybrid Power Plant of guaranteed power 1 MW, consisting of a photovoltaic power plant of 1.99 MW, at the location “Aspri Vigla – Andri” (application no.: I-285247 / 13.7.2020),
  • RAE decision no. 653/2020, which granted a license for electricity generation from a Hybrid Power Plant with a guaranteed power of 1.65 MW, consisting of a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 5,421 MW, at the location “Diavrouchas – Erina – Vigla” (application no.: I-285245 / 13.7.2020),
  • RAE decision no. 716/2020, which granted a license for electricity generation from a Hybrid Power Plant of guaranteed power of 0.5 MW, consisting of a photovoltaic power plant of 1.5 MW, at the location “Agios Symeon” (application no.: I-285244 / 13.7 .2020).