City Profile

Iasi

City Profile Iasi

Introduction The city of Iași is located in the east of Romania, and is the second largest city in the country, after Bucharest, with a population of 300,000. The city has eight universities with approximately 60,000 students, the second largest number of any Romanian city. Iași is an important economic centre in Romania. The local and regional economy relies on institutions and establishments in the service sector. The most important sectors are related to education, health care, banking, research, culture, government and tourism. Iași is active in the manufacturing sector too, particularly in automotive, pharmaceutical industry, metallurgical production, textiles and clothing, construction, wine and preserved meat.

In Romania, the Energy, Petrol and Gas Department, as part of the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business Environment, submits strategies and programmes for sustainable energy development. The Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism has carried out thermal modernisation programmes in cooperation with local authorities.

Together with the Department for Development and European Projects, the Technical Department in Iași City Hall submits and implements projects for energy optimisation.

Iași signed the Covenant of Mayors in 2011 and will submit its Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) in 2013. Within the drafting process of the SEAP, Iași’s aim is to establish targets that are consistent with efficient energy policies of the EU.

Reducing CO2 emissions by at least 20% is one of the major goals of the municipality. Energy-efficient public transport in general and electricity in particular represent one of Iași’s major energy-strategic priorities.

The completion of the thermal modernisation of all kindergartens and schools and other public buildings is part of a strategy to reduce the energy consumption of public buildings. On the other hand, the city of Iași wants to propose a draft to better regulate thermal insulation of private homes. The recent problems in the heating systems generated a series of debates and proposals for solutions, analysis and plans which must be implemented to avoid the possible collapse of the heating system and to make it more efficient.

Power generation by photovoltaic systems is an option which the city of Iași wants to take on in the near future. Currently, there is a lack of expertise in this field. Energy-Efficient Buildings and Districts

In accordance with the current law and the National Plan for Energy Efficiency, the Ministry of Development, in collaboration with local public

December 2012 City Profile Iasi

administrations, is managing programmes that aim to reduce energy consumption of heating units in residential buildings. Between 2009 and 2011, 16 apartment buildings (399 apartments) were modernised in Iași, with a total effective area of 21,634.23 m2. The energy consumption amounted to 2,473.76 kWh/m2/year.

For many educational institutions in Iași, thermal insulation is necessary; 63 schools (three colleges, 19 high schools, 19 general schools and 22 kindergartens) require thermal modernisation.

The main challenge is to identify financial resources and attract funds that make it possible to implement the projects for the thermal modernisation of public and residential buildings in Iași. The energy optimisation of public buildings and public lighting, as well as changing citizens' behavioural patterns with respect to the efficient use of energy, are needed to improve the city’s energy performance. Renewable Energy Sources and Distributed Generation

A first step towards a more efficient use of the central heating system in Iași was to replace 49 thermal substations and expand the secondary heating distribution networks to a 55 km network. The equipment of 95 thermal substations and 48 thermal modules has also been replaced.

Two more projects are being implemented to improve the energy efficiency of thermal energy production and distribution, which means modernising the boilers and transportation pumps, building a new station for sulphur removal, installing a device for the dry collection of ashes, and modernising the connection artery (replacing the thermal insulation with polyurethane foam along 1,900 linear metres).

The most challenging aspects for the city are to find solutions for the heating and cooling distribution networks, avoid possible collapses and improve energy efficiency. Energy in Urban Transport

Iași is participating in a Civitas Plus programme of the EU in implementing a project called Archimedes. The city of Iași sets priorities towards efficient public transport by developing an urban mobility master plan for the metropolitan area of Iași. They intend to modernise a 16 km public transport route in order to make electric transportation more efficient. A Regional Operational Programme was approved to finance the project management city- wide.

December 2012 City Profile Iasi

Financing

Financing the project is one of the main challenges for the city. A Regional Operational Programme has been approved for urban transport measures. European funds are also a main source of financial support. Future Visions and Expectations

The city expects a project initiated by the municipality of Iași for the modernisation of the heating system in Iași to comply with environmental standards on emissions and increase energy efficiency in the urban heat supply. This project aims to help reduce pollution, improve residents’ living conditions and increase the energy efficiency of central heating systems.

In the near future, Iași plans to carry out the thermal modernisation of apartment buildings (26 blocks), with the support of European funds.

December 2012 City Profile Iasi

Doeppersberg 19 42103 Wuppertal GERMANY

City of Iasi

Romania

www.cascadecities.eu

CASCADE is a EU-funded led by EUROCITIES which aims to design and deliver large-scale networking and mutual learning actions on local energy leadership among members of the EUROCITIES network. 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 are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

December 2012