Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
conditions. In addition, the full-scale implementation of a mechanism to certify
buildings based on their energy ef
ciency is an essential starting point for gathering
information in order to develop adequate policies.
Making fundamental and innovative changes to administrative structures is
highly complex and involves the participation of many members of government.
However, in our opinion, two types of reforms should be made to the current
contracting law to be able to carry out ESCO projects: shorten the length of the
public procurement process and adapt the conditions to the distinctive character-
istics of the ESCO model.
5.2 Technical
To ensure promised energy savings have been achieved over the contract duration,
there exists an internationally accepted procedure called the International Perfor-
mance Measurement and Veri
cation Protocol (IPMVP). The appropriate policy
reforms should be made to make this protocol mandatory in Barcelona in order to
assure customers that guaranteed savings have actually been delivered despite
changes to variables related to climate, the building and its use over time.
5.3 Financial
Sol Solar
s case is just one demonstration of how new energy-saving technologies
have been improving their performance, and therefore they provide a reasonable
payback period with a continuously decreasing risk for investors.
Currently, the lack of adequate
'
nancing schemes for energy saving projects
prevents small and medium-sized ESCOs from taking on large renovations. This is
a major factor inhibiting the further development of Barcelona
'
s ESCO market.
Currently however, due to the economic crisis, commercial
nancial institutions are
more interested in the
, easy projects, thus limiting activity with
longer projects and in some client segments (for instance in the residential sector).
Therefore, cash-
“
low hanging
”
nancing would be the appropriate solution for ESCO
projects, where the bank would accept the stream of revenue coming from energy
cost savings as collateral.
ow based
5.4 Informational
We have found that, in addition to true ESCOs, there are many companies that
claim to be ESCOs but are not compensated in function of the energy cost savings
generated by a renovation. We suspect that the local ESCO ecosystem could bene
t
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