NEW: Renewable energy information pack.

Objectives

The aim of the EU research project REASURE is to combine and adapt scientific and technological knowledge with best engineering and architectural practice. REASURE aims to design, establish, develop and operate a number of Regional Design and Advice Support Units around Europe. These units will train and support the local practitioners (architects, engineers, designers etc) on the use and integration of energy efficient systems and techniques which are often based on renewable energy systems (RES). The training will tackle the rehabilitation of the building stock and the construction of new buildings. The specific objectives of the proposal are: (1) the adaptation of already developed practical educational material and design tools to the local conditions; (2) the organisation of specific events promoting the use of RES in buildings (e.g. architectural competitions and seminars) by local practitioners; (3) the assessment of the energy characteristics of each involved region’s building stock and the development of a specific ready-to-use rehabilitation plan for the buildings.

The Scottish Energy Systems Group is operating the Reasure office in Scotland, with technical inputs from the Energy Systems Research Unit.

The REASURE project started in April 2002. The project will be divided and carried out in the following phases:

  1. The regional Design and Advice Support Units will be established and operated over the 24 month duration of the project.
  2. Educational materials and design tools will be collected, evaluated and classified. The selected material will be adapted to the local conditions and standards. Educational tools will be disseminated to the target audience.
  3. Activities including seminars and architectural competitions will be organised. These are intended to encourage local practitioners to approach and establish contact with the support units.
  4. A complete map of the energy characteristics of the predominant types of local buildings will be created, including their global and specific energy consumption.
  5. A complete energy retrofitting plan for the building stock in each area will be developed.
  6. A ready-to-apply, specific technical and economic rehabilitation plan for some important public and private buildings in each area will be established.
  7. The operation of the support units will be fine tuned in the light of experience and final project results will be disseminated. To disseminate the results of the project, a specific dissemination plan will be followed.

Results

The final results of the REASURE project will be a global and integrated plan for each involved area. REASURE will support dispersed local practitioners such as building designers, consumers and public authorities on the use of renewable energies and energy efficiency measures in the building stock. It will include:

  1. Design, development and operation of a Design and Advice Support Unit (DASU).
  2. Development of practical educational materials adapted to the local conditions.
  3. Organisation of an architectural competition among local building designers.
  4. Creation of a complete map of the energy characteristics of predominant types of local buildings.
  5. Development of a complete energy retrofitting plan for the building stock in each area, presenting specific energy targets, actions, and a management plan to achieve it.
  6. Development of a specific technical and economic rehabilitation plan for important public and private buildings in each area.
  7. Seminars and other dissemination activities.

The First Meeting

The REASURE Kick-off Meeting For The Establishment of Regional Design And Advice Support Units To Promote Use of Renewable Energy In Buildings By Local Practitioners.

For a rapid and effective project start, the partners came together for a kick-off meeting. This first kick-off meeting took place in Pieria near Mount Olympus on 23rdand 24th of May 2002.

Representatives of each project partner were present. The meeting was organised by the host group PIERIKI ANAPTIXIAKI S.A.

Each partner gave a brief description of their activities in the use of Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation. Then the group exchanged ideas and plans for the setting up and operation of the local Design and Advice Support Units. The other issues on the agenda were to define those common activities which should be carried out by all partners jointly and to discuss details for co-operation in the research work. A clear timetable for the project research work was established