Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg e.V.
On 01.10.2000 Mr Heiner Matthies (qualified engineer) started as head of the local energy agency Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg e. V. The official opening date for the local energy agency’s office in Prenzlauer Berg Berlin was the 2nd March 2001.
ACTIVITIES OF THE AGENCY
- ENERGY COUNSELLING FOR TENANTS: Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg offered a so called heating-cost-check for tenants to analyse and evaluate the received bills. The service for interested tenants who got advice on how to save heating costs free of charge. Approximately 180 parties received detailed advice since October 2001
- SERVICE WITHIN CONTRACTING PROJECTS: The EBPB advised the tenants of Bremer Höhe e. G. to get their electricity from a different supplier, namely from three future plants and has therefore helped with putting an ecologically friendly energy concept into practice and thus setting an example.
The concept includes a local heating supply through the process of contracting and takes the interests of the tenants into account when using the Berlin Energy Service Standards (B.E.ST.) to launch a contract. On top of this it includes the simultaneous production of heat and electricity in three locally owned communal heating power stations.
The Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg informed the tenants explicitly about this energy supply concep that mostly every tenant in Bremer Höhe terminated their contracts with their former electricity supplier.
The reason for the great success can be found in the advisory concept of energy counselling. Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg works to reconcile the economic necessity of providing energy at a viable price with the ecological goal of providing energy in an ecologically sound and sustainable way. Consulting activities are based on dialogue with the local population. Making complex technological and economic processes understandable is imperative for the good reception of any energy conservation measure. Furthermore, implementing innovative concepts - such as contracting - requires an intensification of consulting activities.
Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg improves the quality of energy services. The Agency's core business is to make a larger proportion of the population - in particular tenants - ready to accept contracting. The Agency acts as a buffer in user-investor conflicts. Thanks to its independent position, it communicates professionally with tenants, landlords, housing companies and municipal authorities as well. It performs preliminary research when a project is to be developed, and supports all partners both during the implementation of the project and as appliances are put into service.
The belief is that transparency is the key to success.
- ENERGYPOLITICAL STRATEGY FOR PANKOW: EBPB offeres various services to the district of Pankow in order to increase energy efficiency. The missing communication with the consumer was the biggest problem in the past to make potential energy saving concepts known and thus to use them. By developing and distributing the Pankow building- energy- pass the platform for a discussion about possible energy efficiency measures is brought to life. EBPB would like to be appointed by the district for this task.
EBPB can launch a concept, organise and operate lectures for the consumer taylored to his residence. Last but not least EBPB offered the district to put together user profiles and analyse weaknesses.
RESULTS
The local energy agency made the topic energy efficiency public on a larger scale and therefor made innovative energy supply more acceptable, especially, in the eyes of the tenants.
Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg is known in the city of Berlin and became renowned through publications in the press, distribution of flyers, the participation of its director in seminars, congresses and lectures and above that it is known as the Local Energy Agency with the focus on Local heating supply and Energy consulting for tenants using Contracting.
Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg e.V. was included in specific cases to help the district office in deciding on whether or not to issue permits in redevelopment questions and worked together with the urban development authorities in order to do consultation work for investors. Plannning an energy related political strategy for Pankow is to try and intensify cooperation with the administration and has the goal to provide more service for the district office after the funding phase has terminated.
EUROPEAN COOPERATION
EBPB has worked for 3 years in partnership with Watford and Three Rivers Energy Agency, a SAVE Agency near London and Energy Agency Sala / Galanta, a SAVE Agency in Slovakia near Bratislava
CONCLUSION
In spite of delays, unfavorable basic conditions and many obstacles the association Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg manage to fill a niche as a local energy agency in the district of Pankow in Berlin. The association has established itself as a serious consulting agency in the consulting sector of the district.
When it comes to saving energy in public buildings of the district Pankow in Berlin, the local energy agency is only at the initial stage of cooperating with the District Office.
In the private sector Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg supports the believe in transparency when it comes to reading the energy bills and tries to pass the energy efficiency effect on to the tenant in the form of lower energy bills. Especially in the cases of heating supply in residential buildings rented by tenants, the local energy agency tries to raise the acceptance of the tenants when it comes to contracting.
The local energy agency focussed local heating concepts including communal heating supplies because these are among the most efficient sources of energy supply in the inner cities.
Outside the district the local energy agency is renowned for being an independent consulting agency.
Contact:
Dipl.-Ing. Heiner Matthies, Project Manager
E-mail: matthies@energieberatung-pb.de
Energieberatung Prenzlauer Berg e. V.
Schönhauser Allee 63
10437 Berlin
GERMANY
Tel. 030. 44 04 25 68
Fax. 030. 44 04 26 34
E-mail: info@energieberatung-pb.de
