Website: www.ib-sh.de/1072/

Case Study: Deutsch (227 Kb PDF) | English (993 Kb PDF)

Introduction

The German-Danish joint project "Development of energy management structures among SMEs and local authorities", running from the start of 2006 to mid 2007, is co-financed through the INTERREG III A Sonderjylland/Schleswig EU Community initiative. Projects in the nature, environment and energy sectors in the German-Danish border region are being supported through the INTERREG III A programme in the period 2001-2006.

Background

Rising energy prices worldwide are generating new problems for local authorities and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The additional expenditure is burdening SMEs and local authority budgets equally. Planned investment measures and technical upgrading in public properties have to be deferred because of the tighter financial situation. The lack of orders is an additional burden for craft businesses, whose competitiveness is further affected in a region already hampered by structural weaknesses.

Objectives

The goal of the project is to relieve local authority budgets and to raise SMEs' competitiveness by reducing energy costs. Greater transparency concerning energy flows, costs and energy savings options should enable the target group to make economically and ecologically sound decisions on lowering energy consumption or more efficient energy production and use. Moreover, the data collected will be used by local authorities to produce the energy certificates for public buildings required by regulations from 2006.

Project initiators and managers:

• Energy Agency Schleswig-Holstein (D)
• Sydevst Energi Net A/S (DK)

Other co-operation partners:

• EnergiSystemeNord (ESN)
• Flensburg Chamber of Crafts
• The University of Flensburg
• Schleswig-Holstein Federation of Municipalities
• State of Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Economy, Science and Traffic
• Stadtwerke Flensburg GmbH
• Enervision A/S
• The University of South Denmark
• Sonderjyllands Erhvervscenter