Video
Video file
During this session, after a welcome note from Mrs Theodora Antoniou from the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry of Cyprus, the goals of the Secretariat and its ongoing work were introduced, specifically focusing on the technical assistance through the Energy Academies.
Following, Mrs Katerina Piripitsi from the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry of Cyprus presented the objectives, specific measures and overall policies for the energy transition of the island. We heard how Cyprus has managed to surpass its 2020 goal for 13 % RES in its energy mix already marking 13.4 % in 2019, mainly through upgrades in the cooling and heating infrastructure of the island. The overview of the measures and mechanisms that the country has designed through its own and EU funds i.e. from the Recovery and Resilience facility, was also presented. Special focus was given on the efficiency of buildings.
Next, Dr. Apostolos Michopoulos, Deputy Director at Energy and Environmental Design of Buildings Research Lab, Faculty of Engineering, University of Cyprus presented the Renewable Energy Master Plan for the Ecocity of KOAG. We learnt and compared the Life-Cycle Cost and the potential emissions reduction of alternative possible intervention scenarios in the Ecocity. These involved the installation of photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, or geothermal technologies, at an individual household or community level. The project, which has received technical support during the first phase of the Secretariat, is now under implementation.
It was recognised that the transposition of the EU regulation, especially focusing on Citizen and Renewable Energy Communities, will help advance the development of clean energy and energy efficiency projects on the island.
In the next steps, the participants of the Energy Academy will focus on specific areas of the clean energy transition and learn how to select, evaluate and execute as well as communicate about their energy transition projects.