Website: www.rurasu.info

Case Study (68 Kb PDF)

Summary

RURal Advice and Support Units for integrated energy management in buildings a project supported by the European Commission.

RURASU focused on energy problems of four rural areas (Pieria in Greece, Allgäu in Germany, South Ayr in United Kingdom, Cordillera Subbetica in Spain) aiming to support dispersed local actors like building designers, consumers, public authorities on the use of renewable energies and energy efficiency measures in the building stock.

The continuous support provided to local actors resulted in a broader use and implementation of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency techniques. Moreover, methodological guides were produced in simplified format, recommended to be adapted by other interest regions on establishing and operating rural Design Advice and Support Units (DASUs). The project concluded in the successful operation of four Design Advice and Support Units based in dispersed rural areas.

Results

The main results of the project were:

• Operation of Design and Advice Support Units (DASUs) in the four rural involved areas.
• Creation of methodological tools for supporting the establishment or further development of rural based Design Advice and Support Units.
• Creation of Public Relation strategies for all involved areas and application of these strategies, including coalition with local media of the involved areas.
• Set up of Partners' networks in each Design and Advice Support Unit (DASU) and training of the professionals involved.
• World Wide dissemination of deliverables and production of educational material in local languages focusing on specific categories of professionals and individuals.

A full study on Cost-Benefit Analysis for the rural DASUs was materialized by all partners, under the guidance and supervision of University of Strathclyde (Scotland, UK). It is estimated that one job is directly created for every £40,000 of investment, and another indirect job for every £70,000. (Investment is defined as expenditure for installation of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies - it only includes recorded installations undertaken with help of grant or loan schemes provided by the energy advice centre). Regarding other non-quantifiable benefits, one of the most important of these is that the DASU is perceived by its users to be free, unbiased and independent.

Moreover, a quantifiable table of performance indicators was produced during the preparation of the project. All targets planned in the performance indicator table of the Grant Agreement were surpassed.

Finally, an important issue that was achieved by RURASU project was the creation and the maintenance of existing workplaces.

• Pieriki: One geotechnical was engaged for the initial required actions in the rural areas of Pieria. One RES engineer was engaged for supporting the actions of the RES subjects at local level on the RURASU-project.One PR expert was engaged as part time for the dissemination and organizing of events. One workplace was created for administrative and secretary actions (especially during events organizing).
• Eza!: In the German DASU "eza!" there was no new workplace directly financed by the RURASU project, but five new workplace have been created within the project time by the rising response to the work of eza! - an effect of the RURASU project.
• UCA: One full time work place was created for the newly founded Spanish DASU called "OFAER Subbética".
• IASA: One full and three part time workplaces were created. Workplaces related to building construction work are not included to them.
• WIP: Two working places were secured within the framework of RURASU project.
• UoS: One job was created at the Scottish DASU to service the needs of the Rurasu project.