Feedback Report

Feedback report

Peer advice Viernheim, Germany How to campaign for solar energy and how to set energy standards in urban planning?

Report produced by CASCADE project

Author: City of Mannheim

Version: 1.0

CASCADE is an EU-funded project led by EUROCITIES which aims to design and deliver large-scale networking and mutual learning actions on local energy leadership among EUROCITIES members. The CASCADE consortium is composed of: EUROCITIES, Wuppertal Institut, Koucky & Partners and the following cities: Amaroussion, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Burgas, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Gateshead, Genoa, Gijon, Malmo, Mannheim, Milan, Nantes, Stockholm, Sunderland, Tampere, Terrassa, Venice and Warsaw.

The CASCADE project is co-financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission is responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

www.cascadecities.eu

March 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Viernheim, Germany

CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...... 4

2. Participants ...... 4

3. The advice-giving ...... 5

4. Evaluation of the visit ...... 8

5. Conclusions ...... 9

Annexes ...... 10

March 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Viernheim, Germany

1. Introduction

The first peer advice visit between Mannheim and Viernheim took place on the 17th of February 2014 and the second peer advice visit followed on the 17th March. Both visits took place in Viernheim. The peer advice topics were focused on two of the three main CASCADE themes: energy efficiency in buildings and renewable energy.

Mannheim selected Viernheim to offer peer advice to due to a long term relationship between these two cities in energy and climate policy. Mannheim asked Viernheim to take part in the peer advice programme of CASCADE one year ago on an energy conference in Mannheim. As a part of Mannheim’s dissemination strategy the CASCADE project has been presented and communicated on different meetings and conferences locally, regionally and nationally.

2. Participants

1st visit 2nd visit CASCADE city Mannheim Agnes Hähnel-Schönfelder, Agnes Hähnel-Schönfelder, Head of Climate Protection Head of Climate Protection Centre Centre

Peer advice city Viernheim Philipp Granzow, Head of Philipp Granzow, Head of Brundtlandtbüro, City of Brundtlandtbüro, City of Viernheim Viernheim

Annette Rihm, colleague Annette Rihm, colleague Brundtlandbüro, City of Brundtlandbüro, City of Viernheim Viernheim

Sandra Brouër, Department of Urban Development and Environmental Planning, City of Viernheim

March 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Viernheim, Germany

3. The advice-giving

3.1. The peer advice city:

Viernheim is situated in the southern part of the German Federal State Hessen with 32,000 inhabitants on an area of 48.41 km². Viernheim is a medium size industrial city close to Mannheim, in the economic and metropolitan area Rhein-Neckar. Mannheim and Viernheim are both part of the network in the Metropolitan Region Rhine-Neckar. The cities are members of the regional Energy Efficiency Agency E2A and work together on regional energy efficiency targets.

Starting in the early 1980s, Viernheim's local government and community embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at reducing local air pollution and increasing energy efficiency. Initiatives included cogeneration, district heating, and low-energy buildings. Efforts were also made to discourage car use and slow down the speed of traffic. These efforts were expanded in 1994 when Viernheim won a national ‘Brundtland’ award of $2.5 million in recognition of its integral approach to climate protection measures. The community accepted the award as a responsibility to continue on the path toward sustainability. The Brundtland Model Project was establihed to work towards the sustainable development of the local region and to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by the year 2010 through the promotion of energy efficiency technologies and social marketing for behaviour- related climate protection.

In the year 1996 the first climate protection concept was developed. Responsible for the local climate protection activities and coordination is the Brundtlandbüro with three employees. With a new action plan in 2011 the city contributes to the federal state programme of Hessen ‘100 municipalities for climate protection’.

In 2011 the city council of Viernheim decided to found a public participation forum called Energy & Climate Protection, with the task to develop an updated energy concept for Viernheim. The City of Viernheim signed the Covenant of Mayors initiative in 2012, but has not yet submitted a SEAP. The SEAP will be written on the basis of the Action Plan, created with the public participation forum Energy & Climate Protection.

Peer advice topic: Increasing the use of solar energy

As a result of the discussions among the citizens and stakeholders in the city in the public participation forum Energy & Climate Protection, ten thematic areas were worked out for the updated Action plan. Favorite subjects were solar energy, cycle traffic and refurbishment of the old building stock. Three working groups on renewable energy, environmental education and public communication, have regularly discussed in the public participation forum the targets of the new energy and climate programme of the city and have suggested nearly 30 measures for the future concept. Six of them were advised to be

March 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Viernheim, Germany

worked on with the first priority – one of them solar energy.

Solar energy is the only source of energy Viernheim can use itself and the potential is really high. 1,000 additional solar panels on roofs seem to be realistic. Now the city is thinking about how to convince the citizens to install PV-panels on their roofs. Related to this target the Brundlandtbüro is working on a campaign for solar energy. They want to involve in the campaign volunteers and professionals.

Peer advice topic: Energy efficiency in districts – new urban quarter ‘Schmittberg II’

The city intends to designate new areas to cover the local needs for developing housing areas. The new urban quarter "Schmittberg II" is currently under development of the urban planning department. Special challenges to meet are the nearby motorway BAB A6 and the adjoining ecologic green areas.

3.2. The peer advice visits

In the first visit the Head of the Climate protection Centre of the City of Mannheim illustrated the CASCADE peer-to-peer learning methodology and how exchange of knowledge and good practices could help cities to improve their own local climate and energy policies. To the participants was handled out the printed version of the CASCADE toolkit, which aims to offer inspiration and guidance to city experts and decision-makers on how to improve the implementation of climate change and energy policies in their cities.

During the first peer advice visit the participants learned more about the three learning levels of CASCADE: peer review visits, transnational networking activities, regional and national networking. Mannheim explained how the city could share deep knowledge with colleagues from the visited and reviewed European cities during the peer review visits in Birmingham and Tampere, mentoring visits in Edinburgh and Amaroussion, a shadowing visit in Birmingham, a study visit in Malmö and organising a study visit in Mannheim. The study visit in Mannheim allowed city experts and officials from the cities of Eindhoven, Milan, Sliven and Timisoara to learn about and get inspiration from Mannheim’s approach on energy efficient buildings and districts, on both the refurbishment of existing districts and the construction of new more energy-efficient ones.

The reaction of the peer advice city to CASCADE peer-to-peer learning methodology was really good; they were surprised by the format of the CASCADE learning methodology and they can imagine to use this methodology in the future together with other cities, in future projects. The peer-to-peer learning methodology offers the cities an opportunity to share experiences and to reflect on their own work. The participants were really interested to test these methods and the benchmark in their own city to get recommendations on possible areas of improvement.

March 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Viernheim, Germany

The peer advice topics were focused on two of the three main CASCADE themes: energy efficiency in buildings and renewable energy. The cities have identified the following key implementation challenges:

Increasing the use of solar energy During the peer advice meetings Mannheim and Viernheim discussed how a solar campaign could be created and should be designed to reach the citizens. The cities discussed the worked-out action plan of Viernheim for the campaign to increase the use of solar energy. Who could be the actors, which area in the City is suitable for the campaign. 40 possible measures were developed in an action plan for a solar campaign. Private houses are in the focus of the campaign.

Viernheim got the advice to start first in one special suitable quarter, where citizens are already open and active in using solar energy. And they got support for the idea to build a working group and to find a solar company as stakeholder in the project. Also the energy provider and a marketing expert should be in that group. The campaign could start with showing good examples as an ‘open house’ exhibition – people next door open their house for the neighborhood to show the solar panels and how they work.

Energy efficiency in districts – new urban quarter ‘Schmittberg II’ The second question of Viernheim in the peer advice meetings was focused on how to get planners and investors engaged for high energy standards in the future buildings on the new urban quarter ‘Schmittberg II’. The problem identified is that the quarter isn’t planned energy- and climate friendly. So the planned buildings are not in an optimized direction to the sun for example. Another problem is that the ground where the buildings will be built is not city-owned, most are private land and as energy source there is only gas. Thus, it will be difficult to get excellent energy standards in this new quarter.

The given advice was to organize workshops with all planners and investors to get them involved from the very beginning of the project and to invite specialist and stakeholders from urban planning, energy providers, energy consultants etc. In these workshops it is possible to together find solutions for an energy-efficient quarter and which standard the investors could realize. This method was really successful in Mannheim in the ‘Glückstein-Quartier’ project, where the energy standard will be 30% better as the German regulations.

Viernheim and Mannheim are going to continue the collaboration between the cities in the future on the basis of an existing long-term relationship. They exchange regularly experiences in climate protection on events and in meetings organised in the Metropolitan region Rhein-Neckar.

March 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Viernheim, Germany

4. Evaluation of the visit

The evaluation forms were distributed at the end of the second peer advice visit. Three participants from the peer advice city Viernheim and one from the CASCADE City Mannheim filled in the form.

Question Viernheim1 Viernheim2 Viernheim3 Mannheim

1.Overall 1.1 Assessment 5 points best 1.1.1 4 4 5 5 1.1.2 4 4 5 4 1.1.3 4 4 5 4 1.2 4 4 3 4 4 points best 1.3 3 3 3 4 4 points best 2.Input and 2.1 Preparation 5 points best 2.1.1 5 4 5 4 2.1.2 4 4 5 4 3.Process and 3.1 communication 5 points best 3.1.1 3 3 4 4 3.1.2 4 4 4 4

Output and Learning:

• conveyed new information • got new ideas, different views • experiences of the other city helpful for by planning own projects • on peer-review level it is easier to exchange experiences • questions can be ask, feedback comes direct • no misunderstanding because clearing question in a dialogue • discussion in a small peer group is more effective than in a workshop • getting information by discussion a special topic of the work is really effective in the CASCADE way

March 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Viernheim, Germany

5. Conclusions

The peer-advice city managed to get a good picture of the situation for organizing the solar energy campaign in Viernheim and in planning an energy-efficient urban quarter and the identified problems. Together the cities could develop useful input and recommendations for Viernheim. In conclusion, the mentoring visit met the expectations of the participants and successfully fulfilled its purpose.