Policy conference in Hungary - How do local governments get energy?
From agricultural waste through pellets and vine-branches, local governments have a wide range of options to satisfy their energy needs by making a transition to smart systems – saving millions annually by doing so. However, it is important what furnaces are fuelled with, where these materials come from and how the system is constructed. The topicality of biomass use and the energy management of local governments is reflected in the fact that almost a hundred participants were interested in the conference organized by ENERGIAKLUB and the Hungarian partners of the COACH BioEnergy project.
The event titled “Biomass Use for Local Governments – Planning, Financing, Technology” held in an impressive vineyard in Szekszárd. The conference was divided into a morning and a multi-section afternoon session. The first session consisted of presentations, after lunch participants were free to choose what they would like to learn more about: planning, financing or technology issues.
The event was opened by László Kővári Municipality of Szekszárd, presenting the town’s endeavour in the field of sustainable energy management, and pointing out the problem of energy wasting behaviours and the vast number of untapped possibilities.
József Hegyesi (Szent István University) and Zsolt Kazai (Central Hungarian Innovation Centre) gave a presentation on information and useful tools available on the COACH BioEnergy international project website. The system will be accessible from 1st January, it provides best practices shown on a map, technological descriptions including lifecycle analyses, and manuals helping investment preparations.
The main messages of the conference include the importance of strategic planning. Planning enables local governments to assess their exact needs and to prevent dependence on market interests, and helps them avoid faulty ad hoc investment projects. Norbert Kohlheb (Szent István University) introduced the practical steps of strategic planning through the example of Szada municipality. In his presentation he emphasised the importance of grassroots initiatives and participative planning, and pointed out the role of local governments in coordinating development projects.
