The next national workshop organised as part of the Ready4NetZero project took place on 1-2 October 2024 in Siemiatycze. The event was attended by representatives from the city offices of Siemiatycze, Cieszyn, and Piastów, as well as representatives from the Municipal Sports and Recreation Centre and the Municipal Company in Siemiatycze.
The opening of the workshop and the welcoming of the guests belonged to Piotr Siniakowicz, the Mayor of Siemiatycze, and Anna Jaskuła, the Director of the Association of Municipalities Polish Network “Energie Cités”. Following their introduction, Izabela Kuśnierz, Project Manager at the Association, introduced the participants to the topic of climate neutrality and emphasised the important role of local initiatives in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change.
After a theoretical introduction, the group went on a tour of the city in an electric low-speed vehicle, during which they were able to experience first-hand the municipal investments in the modernisation of educational facilities and the revitalisation of urban recreational areas. As part of the study visit to the complex of low-energy buildings on Świętojańska Street, the workshop participants visited the International Center for Ecological Education East-West, the indoor swimming pool “Wodne Tarasy”, the music school, and the multipurpose sports hall. Following this, all guests proceeded to the concert and cinema hall, where representatives of the City of Siemiatycze presented examples of municipal investments in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency.
The first speaker was Maciej Goniewicz, the Director of the Municipal Sports and Recreation Centre in Siemiatycze, who outlined the heat recovery technologies and energy efficiency measures implemented at the International Centre for Ecological Education East-West (MCEEWZ). The building features photovoltaic modules installed on its roof, which work in conjunction with a heat pump system, passive cooling units, and heat recovery systems in the ventilation units, all aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels for heating. The passive design of the MCEEWZ not only utilises but also promotes renewable energy sources, illustrating the principles that should guide the design of modern public and residential buildings. Its passive status has been validated by the Polish energy-efficient building certificate in class A+. To support these efforts, the MCEEWZ includes dedicated rooms on the upper floor that serve as educational and promotional spaces with exhibition functions.
The next presentation, on the impact of low-energy urban investments on social policy in Siemiatycze, was delivered by the Mayor of the City, Piotr Siniakowicz. Examples of investments carried out in Siemiatycze include the thermal modernisation of all public buildings in the city, the renovation of a sanitary-technical building to establish the Siemiatycze Junior and Senior Clubs, the construction of green bus stops, and offering free building inspections with thermal imaging camera for residents.
The last speaker representing the City of Siemiatycze was Mariusz Pyzowski, the Chairman of the Municipal Company Sp. z o.o. in Siemiatycze. He presented the initiatives undertaken by the municipal company to achieve climate neutrality and strive for energy self-sufficiency through the development of its own renewable energy sources. The speaker outlined several key investments, including a small hydropower plant, an electric vehicle charging point, photovoltaic systems, a biogas plant, and a project for a combined heat and power plant.
Through the implementation of these investments, Siemiatycze is transforming into an innovative and eco-friendly city, establishing a new standard for sustainable development at the local level. These projects not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also improve residents' quality of life by offering modern infrastructure that is environmentally conscious. This illustrates that smaller towns can play a significant role in combating climate change, highlighting the importance of collaboration between local authorities, businesses, and public institutions for the successful adoption of innovative energy solutions. .
The day concluded with a workshop titled The Role of Energy Communities in Achieving Climate Neutrality, led by Alicja Piekarz and Monika Jaszcza from the Polish Green Network. The facilitators highlighted the key characteristics of available forms of citizen energy in Poland, such as collective prosumers, tenant prosumers and energy cooperatives. During their presentation, they also provided examples of successful citizen energy projects, including the Housing Association Śląska 12 in Szczytno, Poland's first collective prosumer in the town of Ryki, and the tenant prosumer Klimek Nieruchomości in Skarżysko-Kamienna. The representatives of the Polish Green Network also discussed the barriers to the development of energy cooperatives in Poland, which can currently operate only in urban-rural and rural municipalities, despite the fact that 74% of Poles living in apartment blocks would like to utilise renewable energy sources under similar arrangements. This data illustrates the huge potential for the growth of citizen energy in the most urbanised areas. The role of local governments is also important in the development of energy communities, as their engagement in mobilising and bringing together residents and encouraging joint investments in RES is crucial. Local authorities can also provide informational and organisational support through training, legal advice, and assistance in obtaining financing. Their involvement can significantly accelerate the development of citizen energy, enhancing the energy independence of local communities and contributing to the achievement of climate neutrality goals.
The second day, along with the next workshop session titled The Future of Energy in Small Towns and Municipalities: Energy Clusters as a Way to Build Local Energy Autonomy began with a presentation by Bartłomiej Kupiec from CoopTech Hub. The speaker focused on the characteristics of energy clusters, including the new billing system, development barriers, and the benefits of membership in a cluster. During his presentation, the CoopTech Hub representative also discussed the example of the Tychy Energy Cluster, which owes its success to the active participation of the local government and collaboration with Tauron Dystrybucja S.A. in areas such as metering, data transmission, grid usage rules, and conducting joint research on providing network flexibility services.
Following the introduction to the topic of energy clusters, Agnieszka Koc, Deputy Head of the Infrastructure Department at the Siemiatycze City Office, presented the example of the Siemiatycze Energy Cluster. The workshop was also attended by Sylwester Szczensnowicz, a representative of Eneris (the coordinator of the Siemiatycze Energy Cluster), while representatives of Cieszyn and Piastów shared as well their experiences in the creation and operation of clusters.
Before the coffee break, participants engaged in an interactive Q&A session, where they had the opportunity to identify challenges in the development of renewable energy sources (RES) in small and medium-sized municipalities, the difficulties associated with creating energy clusters, and examples of the support that local communities and governments need to effectively implement climate plans. Participants emphasized the need to simplify legal regulations and complex procedures, as well as to enable the formation of energy cooperatives in urban municipalities due to the huge interest of cities in this solution.
At the end of the workshop, Katarzyna Brawiak, Project Assistant at the Association, reminded participants of the available funding sources for local energy projects at the international, national, and regional levels.
We sincerely thank the City Office of Siemiatycze, the Mayor, and everyone involved for their warm hospitality and invaluable support in organizing the event. We also appreciate all participants for their presence and active engagement in the next national workshop. We hope that it was an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences and good practices between the pilot cities.
Presentations (PL)
Day I
Day II
Ready4NetZero is a EUKI funded project coordinated by the Polish Network “ENERGIE CITÉS”, with a consortium formed of the Ecologic Institute from Germany, ENERGIAKLUB from Hungary, REGEA from Croatia, and Energy Cities Romania. Ready4NetZero aims to support cities from the participating countries in developing and implementing 2050 climate neutrality strategies and seeks to do this by building capacity, knowledge, and skills among local leaders, municipal staff, and local stakeholders, facilitating experiences exchange and dialogue between local authorities.