A helping hand towards an energy efficient future
Buildings account for around 40 percent of Europe’s total energy consumption, making them a central focus for efficiency and CO2 reduction efforts. Water pumping systems also represent a significant share of local energy demand, and are increasingly targeted for upgrades to reduce operating costs and emissions, issues the CEOS project team are addressing.
The rising cost of energy is placing intense financial pressure on Greek municipalities, compelling them not only to explore ways to reduce consumption and improve efficiency and comply with obligations stemming from EU directives (EED, EPBD) and national guidelines (NECP) that set binding targets for energy savings, emissions reduction, and the promotion of renewable energy in public infrastructure.
One step towards this is to renovate and upgrade municipal infrastructure, such as building stock and local lighting systems.
“Many municipalities in Greece have changed their lighting system to LEDs for example,” says the coordinator of the team behind the EU-backed CEOS project. More substantial investment is required however if Greece is to meet ambitious CO 2 emissions reduction targets, and the country’s building stock and pump stations are a major target in this respect. “There is a clear need for municipalities to renovate their building stock and their infrastructure,” says the project coordinator. “In the CEOS project we aim to facilitate the renovation process. For example, we are looking to identify the right funding schemes to support renovation projects.”
example around the operation of heating and cooling systems, some of which can’t be applied on buildings of historical or architectural importance. A Municipal Energy Reduction Plan (MERP) is then produced, building on a detailed picture of where each municipality uses the most energy, and where savings can be made.
“We can see in which areas they need to focus in terms of energy usage,” explains the project coordinator. The target is to reach around 21-22 million euros worth of construction work by the end of CEOS in December 2027, covering more than 40,000 m2 of building stock, and the coordination team says good progress has already been made. “We have nine municipalities involved in the project and we have already engaged the necessary numbers in terms of buildings and overall area,” they say.
“Two of the municipalities are part of the EU’s mission cities network, which aim to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. They are ambitious in their approach to improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
treatment directive, through energy audits on pumping stations,” says the coordination team. The project team are currently working with municipal partners across Greece, looking to improve overall energy efficiency and varying degrees of progress have been made in the early stages. “In some municipalities we have already completed the whole proposal and are applying for funding, while in others we have not yet have started the technical studies,” they outline. “We are working closely with municipalities and helping them navigate the various options that are open to them.”
The initial targets in terms of the number of pumping stations and the overall footprint of the buildings have been reached, yet at the same time the project team are also in contact with other municipalities beyond those involved in CEOS, looking to widen the impact of the project’s work. A number of public events will be held, sharing the knowledge gained during the project and encouraging more municipalities to investigate how they can improve their energy efficiency. “Representatives from other municipalities can follow the project at these public events, and we can share our results and help shape their energy efficiency strategy.
CEOS project
A key step in the project was first to assess the energy efficiency performance of different municipalities’ building stock and pump stations from the available data, such as utility bills or other background information. From this point researchers could then look to evaluate each one in more depth, aiming to identify those buildings with the greatest potential to reduce energy consumption through targeted interventions.
A number of different interventions have been identified, such as changing the pumping system as a whole, while other measures can also have a
“Municipalities in Greece lack the resources to mature their energy efficiency projects. CEOS provides this support by enabling energy efficiency improvements in buildings and pumping systems that reduce operating costs and contribute to meeting National climate targets.”
from the public and private sectors for example, or by using their own funds,” outlines the coordinator. Municipalities stand at the frontline of the energy and climate challenge. With the right support like CEOS, today’s constraints can become tomorrow’s opportunities, driving the transition to resilient, climate-neutral cities” says Vassilis Papaefstathiou, Deputy Mayor of Strategic Planning and Climate Neutrality Municipality of Kalamata.
This will help get the ball rolling on energy retrofit projects designed to reduce energy consumption in water pumping stations and certain municipal buildings, such as health centres and schools. A variety of different funding schemes at the national and EU level are available to support these projects, yet many municipalities may not be aware of these options, an issue the project aims to address. “We are investigating the funding tools that municipalities can use and are also looking to communicate with them about the different options available. Municipalities may not know about how to blend funds from different sources,
significant impact. “We can also install different components, like inverters, or Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to improve efficiency. Certain changes to the control panel can also have a positive impact,” says the coordination team. “We are also looking into connecting photo-voltaic (PV) systems with pumping stations, helping to reduce further energy costs and CO2 emissions.”
The project team are also examining various interventions in the building envelope, for
The City Energy Optimization Solutions
Project Objectives
CEOS is a LIFE project aiming to enhance energy efficiency in Municipal infrastructure through upgrades, funding support, RES integration, and CO2 reduction. The project involves a comprehensive assessment of the current state of municipal infrastructure, including key elements such as pump systems and buildings, with a strong emphasis on energy performance and exploring financing opportunities from regional, national, and/ or private sources. A key aspect of CEOS is the development of tailored plans to enhance energy efficiency, reduce consumption, and promote the adoption of renewable energy.
Project Funding
The CEOS project is Co-funded by the European Union under the LIFE Programme – Grant Agreement No. LIFE23-CET-CEOS - 101167707.
Project Partners
• Sustainable and Development Engineering EE - Coordinator
• Eqs Thalis Ypiresies Epitheorisis Epivlepsis Poiotitas Kai Diacheirisis Technikon Ergon Ike
• Anaptyxiaki Attikis A.E. Anaptyxiakos Organismos Topikis Aftodioikisis
Contact Details
This work is very much in line with wider climate and energy efficiency goals, and particularly the recent revision of the EUs Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This directive, which comes into force in 2026, sets out even stricter energy efficiency requirements for municipal buildings. “The project will make an important contribution in terms of the push towards net zero emissions buildings. We can also have a big impact in the implementation of the new urban wastewater
Many stakeholders from beyond our partners are engaged in the work of the project,” explains the team. This reflects a wider commitment to improving the energy efficiency of buildings in line with national and international targets, while this also brings more tangible benefits.
“Energy costs are reduced for municipalities, while people are simply more comfortable in buildings with improved energy efficiency performance,” stress the coordination team.
Anastasia Fotopoulou Architect Engineer, PhDSenior Project Manager T: +30 6973 343 460 E: ceos.pda23@gmail.com : https://www.linkedin.com/company/city-energyoptimization-solutions/?viewAsMember=true W: https://build-up.ec.europa.eu/en/resourcesand-tools/links/life23-cet-ceos-project W: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/ project/LIFE23-CET-CEOS-101167707/city-energyoptimization-solutions
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA.
Fani Papakosta is a project development expert in sustainable infrastructure, leading municipal energy projects and aligning them with EU funding tools to drive climate resilience.
Dr Anastasia Fotopoulou is a sustainable architecture expert with strong experience leading EU-funded urban and building decarbonisation projects, combining technical, policy, and strategic expertise to
