The “ecoEnergyland” is an association consisting of 14 municipalities in the Güssingregion. The district of Güssing with approximately 27.000 inhabitants is known as aregion with low economy and a low developed infrastructure. The population in theecoEnergyland communities is approximately 10.000. The 14 communities of the ecoEnergyland are partnered for the project named ‘Climate&Energy Model-region’.These communities are: Güttenbach, St. Michael in Burgenland, Tobaj, Güssing, Strem, Moschendorf, Eberau, Bildein, Deutsch Schützen (district of Oberwart), Heiligenbrunn, Großmürbisch, Kleinmürbisch, Inzenhof and Neustift/Güssing. The total area of all 14 communities is 319,17km². Nearly 50% of the total area is covered with forest, which is the most important resource there, followed by agricultural ressources (corn, cereals, rape and sunflowers). The landscape is undulating and the communities are mainly located along the two main watercourses Strem and Pinka (Stremtal and lower Pinkatal). With approximately 2.200 hours offers the region a numerousness of sunshine hours per year.

The district of Güssing has no link to any railway or motorway, which indicates the regionas peripherally located area. First countermeasures have been taken five years ago by implementing the „Red Bus“, a public transport project, which links the ecoEnergyland communities with the town of Güssing. At the end of 2010 the service had been stopped because of a lack of subsidies from the federal government and the province government.

The bad infrastructure is one of the main reasons of the structural weakness in the area.The region can score with high quality of life (pristine nature, calm location, less traffic, gentle climate, keyword gentle tourism), however large companies and attractive SMBs are missed. This is one of the reasons for a high commuter proportion and an emigration,which leads to a further weakening of the area.

In addition to these problems, existing resources (as previously mentioned 41% forest) were hardly used, while a huge capital outflow from the region for energy purchase had existed (oil, electricity, fuels).

In 1990, experts developed a model, which provided for a complete abandonment offossil energy. The objective was to supply, in a first step, the town of Güssing and subsequently the whole district with regionally available renewable energy sources thus providing the region with new forms of added value. The model comprises the aspects heat generation, fuels and electric power.

First steps toward implementation consisted in targeted energy saving measures in Güssing. As a result of the energetic optimization of all buildings in the town center, expenditure on energy was reduced by almost 50 %. Then, the realization of numerous demonstration energy plants in the town and the region helped to promote the implementation of the model step by step. Examples include the successful installation of a bio-diesel plant using rape oil, the realization of two small-scale biomass district heating systems for some parts of Güssing, and, finally, a district heating system based on wood fuel supplying the town of Güssing. Energy self-sufficiency was finally realized in 2001 when the biomass plant Güssing was installed; it relies on a newly developed biomass-steam gasification technology. At present, Güssing produces more energy (heat,fuels, and electric power) from renewable resources than is consumed in the town on anannual basis. This benefited the region an added value of Euro 13 million (calculationbased on 2005 figures) per year.

Thousands of ‘ecoEnergy-tourists’ are coming each year to study the model of Güssing, fascinated by the idea of a decentralized energy supply. In order to combine the visitation of the demonstration plants with the places of interest in the Güssing region “The ökoEnergieland” was founded in 2005.

All these activities have been coordinated by the European Center of Renewable Energy („EEE“, founded in 1996) located in Güssing. It was on the “EEE” to make the next logical step to expand the Güssing Model to the district of Güssing. With this intention 2 studies have been worked out (“Energy self sufficient district” part 1 and 2).

Bad financial basic conditions, a lack of interest and a low will of assertive was the reason for the fact, that the efforts in renewable energy have not been so successfully in the Güssing region as it would be expected and as it has been in the town of Güssing.

The model works optimally at the local level of the town of Güssing and should act as best practice for the southern part of the Burgenland province. The utilization of regional energy sources like forest and biomass is in the main focus. Furthermore the focus should be more on ecological house building and energy efficiency. Tapping the already existing potential leads to more regional added value (job creation, settlement of companies etc.) Regarding e-mobility the focus is set on public transport, where busses and taxis can be offered demand-oriented. Main objectives are multifunctional utilization of already existing infrastructure to grant relief to women (transport of children), older people or handicapped persons.

There are enough technological possibilities to replace conventional fuels, if it has to be the own vehicle. For example (bio)gas refueled cars, or vehicles and agricultural machines running with biodiesel.

To mention all these circumstances is also essential in order to describe the discrepancy between the success story of Güssing transported in media on the one side and the lack of measurements regarding energy efficiency, energy accounting, photovoltaic and information and public relation with the resident people on the other side. And exactly on those last mentioned points much work has to be done to reach ensure a change ofthe ecoEnergyland into a climate and energy model region.

In order to cover the regional energy demand with the regional available resources in the ecoEnergyland an action plan has to be developed based on the analyses in respect ofthe current energy balance (ratio between energy production and energy demand).

The assigned priorities in this action plan are energy efficiency, energy saving measurements (thermal insulation etc.), extension of the energy production and supply based on renewable energy sources as well as the establishment of a center of communication for the ecoEnergyland–member communities.

Regarding to these priorities the main objectives are development of a reclamation concept in each ecoEnergyland–community, the increasing energy efficiency in public buildings (e.g. by training courses for facility management), energy efficiency inhouseholds (e.g. by info-pages in community papers) and in companies (e.g. by electricity-efficiency-check). In addition the improvement of the availability of feedstock, the creation of regional jobs and the increasing of regional added value, the long-term availability of resources for energy plants, the development of a detailed basis of decision-making for constructor and operator of energy plants, fast and efficientconstruction of new energy plants, creation of new financing models (e.g. citizen involvement), creation of a working-group composed of one energy representative of each community, the development of infrastructure and a sustainable financement for the model region–manager, forced communication and information–exchange by internet-performance or info-campaign, as well as further development of the ecoEnergy-tourism.

In order to achieve these objectives the integration of stakeholders and decision-makers(community, companies, population, associations) is strongly recommended. By the activities of the model region manager the implementation of the concept will be fixed. By the European center for renewable energy Güssing the integration of regional energy companies and regional or extern research institutes is guaranteed and with the members of the ecoEnergyland association 14 municipalities are integrated.

The integration of the resident population should be reached by different infocampaigns, internet-performances (“ecoEnergyland–forum”), info-pages in community papers, study visit packages in the context of the ecoenergy tourism, open council, energy round table and events (e.g. Energy day).

From the beginning the task of the model region-manager as a kind of a coordination point of the ecoEnergyland is important for the implementation in all working-steps.When it comes to energy efficiency as well as energy production new measures should be connected to the already existing infrastructure of the region.The communication strategy is a main part of the implementation concept. It is covered by 5 measures, which are planned in the course of this project: Establishment of energy task forces, special interest workshops, events, internet and print media and through all these activities the sustainable funding of the model region manager. The key person - model region manager - is responsible for the process management of public relation, which guarantees knowledge transfer between research and development, companies,municipalities and resident people.

Internal evaluation and result checking are the main tasks of the energy task force. The quarterly proceedings give the possibility to check the working progress.

Based on the defined measures and initiatives first of all the heat supply from renewable energy sources should be increased. Background is the initiative around the regional feedstock associations, where unused and mainly non-identified sources of communities should be activated (e.g. tree-cut, shrub-cut, pruning of vines, timber of waterside andothers).

The next step would be the production of electricity from renewable energy sources respectively biomass. The main cornerstones are to form photovoltaic systems in each community (also based on citizen participation) and the conversion of street lighting to LEDs in each community, as well.

The field of mobility is the third phase, which was a problem in rural areas so far. Particularly with the implementation of waste gasifiers, biogas plants and different methanisation processing plants the part of renewable fuels should be increased during the next years.

The energy targets are represented in the following graphic:

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