Newsletter TrIsCo Project Explained
July 2010 Issue 1 In This Issue:
TrIsCo Website Launched Students explore passive strategies in buildings, Seville Solar and Biofuel Energy Fair, Sweden Viimsi Study Tour, Estonia
Transition Island Communities (TrIsCo): Empowering Localities to Act is a project that engages with different ‘island’ communities to help them tackle climate change issues and reduce their CO2 emissions. The project will deliver a catalogue of initiatives, instruments and best practices for public bodies, commerce and the public to take action against climate change. The TrIsCo project is a joint-venture between six organisations: • the Environment Centre (tEC), Hampshire, UK • Stichting Brabantse Mileufederatie (BMF), the Netherlands • Municipality of Gotland, Gotland, Sweden • ACER Reggio Emilia, Italy • Viimsi Vallavaltisus, Tallinn, Estonia • Universidad de Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain
Climate Street Party is a huge success Students test the CO2 Assessment Tool Questionnaire
Project Partners
This project is supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the POWER Programme and Interreg IVC. For more information visit www.environmentcentre.com./trisco or contact Helen Farley, tEC helen.farley@envionrmentcentre.com
UK Interregional Event, March 2010 The Environment Centre’s (tEC) Interregional Event took place on 5th March in Weston, Southampton; one of the communities tEC is working with. Members of tEC were on hand to offer advice on energy, waste and waste efficiency in the home. Attendees were able to try a number of hands-on activities such as ‘Hook an Environmental Duck’, Eco Dolls House and the Bike powered Game Boy. Attendees were able to sign-up to receive an electricity monitor, available to the community to encourage them to monitor and reduce their electricity consumption. For more information please contact Helen Farley, tEC helen.farley@enviornmentcentre.com
Newsletter TrIsCo Website is Launched The TrIsCo Project web pages were launched in March 2010, as part of the Environment Centre’s (tEC) new website. The site is a hub of information on the TrIsCo project. The site enables you to find out more about the project and access the TrIsCo newsletters and key project findings including best practices for engaging with communities. The news and events pages will keep you up to date with what is going on in your region. Project partners have access to a Partner Resources page containing downloadable project documents and a Forum to discuss project progress. To visit the website, please follow this link: www.environmentcentre.com/projects/TrIsCo
University of Seville Students Explore Passive Strategies for Energy On May 5th and 18th, Sustainable Construction students from the University of Seville visited a building that has implemented passive strategies to save energy. Students were guided by the project’s architect. The students have been able to evaluate strategies that work and those that do not, because building usage is always under transformation. The passive strategies deal with the building usage, natural lighting, natural ventilation, ventilated facades, shades, vegetation, etc. Professor explaining passive energy strategies in a real building to university students
For more information please contact Professor Madelyn Marrero, University of Seville madelyn@us.es
Hampshire Study Tour , March 2010 the Environment Centre (tEC) hosted a study tour for EU and UK partners on the 3rd and 4th March 2010. The tour showcased best practice techniques and tools for community engagement to deliver Low Carbon Communities in Hampshire. Delegates also had the opportunity to visit two new build development sites and learn about options for sustainable buildings in the UK. To read the report please visit www.environmentcentre.com/trisco/downloads Partners discuss the latest news
Newsletter Solar and Bio-fuel Energy Fair The Municipality of Gotland held a solar and biomass energy fair in Toftagarden, Gotland, Sweden on the 7th-9th May 2010.. 23 companies (10 from mainland Sweden and 13 local bio-energy and solar energy entrepreneurs) exhibited their products at the event. Mr Bengt-Eric Lofgren, AFAB, a well-known expert on solar and bio fuelled heating systems, gave a number of seminars. Suppliers of equipment for heating from solar, wood logs, woodchips and wood pellets were invited to the event along with local WHS-installers, fuel producers, wood fuel retailers and suppliers. A local network of entrepreneurs was established and members were invited to help plan the seminars and make arrangements for the two day event. For more information please contact Helena Andersson, Municipality of Gotland helena.andersson@gotland.se
Above: Selling Bio-fuel Boilers
Above: Mr Bengt-Eric Lofgren in Action!
Viimsi Study Tour, April 2010 Partners from the Netherlands and the UK visited the island of Prangli off the Viimsi peninsular on the northern coast of Estonia. Viimsi Vallavalitsus rural municipality are focussing on the potential for a sustainable energy system for the island and encouraging sustainability within Viimsi. Attendees learnt about typical building construction, the history and industries of the island; its energy system and witnessed the switch from old diesel generators (for producing electricity) in the village of Idaotsa to the new generator station in Prangli’s harbour. At Idaosta’s community centre, project partners met with local island elders and inhabitants to discuss island life and the priorities for the future of the island including securing a constant electricity supply and encouraging more tourists to the island.
A traditional building on Prangli
Partners learn about Prangli’s energy supply
For more information please contact Enno Selirand, Viimsi Municipality enno@viimsivv.ee
Newsletter Climate Street Party is a huge success In the Netherlands, the second edition of the National Climate Street Party (CSP) has come to an end after months of excitement and hard work from the many participants. The Peter Corneliusstraat in Waalwijk is the winner of the competition with the Super Climate Street party held on the 29th of May. In total, a staggering number of 5,570 streets (12,425 households) participated; an increase of 70% on last year. The Climate Street Party is a nation-wide competition where participants make an effort to reduce their energy consumption in cooperation with their neighbours. The aim of the competition is to change behaviour and the way people think about energy. A link to sustainability is made by integrating different themes like awareness, gas, electricity or food in the competition. Under the slogan: “Good for the environment, good for your wallet”, many streets across the Netherlands implemented various measures related to saving energy in and around their homes and neighbourhoods. With initiatives ranging from changing light bulbs to sharing cars or founding a windmill cooperation. The participating streets also organized small events where experts provided advice on how to preserve energy, insulate rooftops or install solar panels. The most active and enthusiastic participants were rewarded Famous Dutch weather man Piet with a nomination as “Climate Ambassador”. The participating streets rd reported their progress on the website and earned points for doing so. Paulusma (3 right) celebrates with this years competition winners. With these points the streets could win all kinds of prizes. The Climate Street Party has been very well received by the public and local government and was also supported by a famous Dutch weather man. On the 29th of May, the 500 highest ranking streets enjoyed a sponsored Climate Street Party to officially close the competition. For more information please contact Arianne Vijge, BMF Arianne.Vijge@bmf.antenna.nl
Students test the CO2 Assessment Tool Questionnaire The University of Seville (UoS) is developing a CO2 assessment tool which uses a simple questionnaire to calculate CO2 emissions. Over a hundred of the university's students have been testing the questionnaire. The students have been learning about the different aspects of a dwelling that determine its energy consumption. The final questionnaire will be completed and made available to the general public by September 2011. For more information please contact Professor Madelyn Marrero, University of Seville madelyn@us.es
Pictures above: University students are participating in the first test with the CO2 questionnaire