1. Preliminary results and recommendations of the Valencian peer review
Preliminary results and recommendations
of the Valencian peer review
1-th June – Energy Cluster Facilities
Closing meeting

2. Partners Regions for Green Growth

3. Partners Valencian peer review

4. The Peer Review Team Flevoland Rogier Wilms Gert-Jan Winkelhagen
Geert-Jan ten Napel
Lazio
Federica Magnifico
Leonilde Tocchi
Västernorrland
Niklas Guss
Thure Mårtensson
AER
Cristina Baizan Edge
Eszak- Älfold
Melinda Matrai
Gábor Vámosi
Krisztián Szabados

5. Goal of Regions 4 Green Growth
Initiative of EU regions who have defined high sustainable energy ambitions and have difficulties to attract investments.
Overall objective of the project:
To equip regions with regional policy instruments, mechanisms and approaches to improve access to finance for and speed up investments in sustainable energy projects (e.g. renewable energy generation capacity, energy efficiency measures).

6. Focus of Valencian Peer Review
Goal
Attract private foreign money to invest in local companies (mainly SME’s)
Help companies in Valencia to get access and to use available funds (mainly public funds, EU or other)
Learn new methodologies used in other regions to finance sustainable energy projects , that can be implemented in our region
Questions
How to increase financial confidence, in order to facilitate access to credits for sustainable projects?
How to make the projects more attractive to foreign private investments?
How to facilitate the access to European funds for the regional companies (mainly SMEs with small projects)

7. Key findings
SWOT analyses

8. Strengths
Energy strategy with clear goals
Already 70% of goal realised
Good action plans implemented – e.g. wind plan
Good organisational background – energy cluster, associations, etc.
Knowledge of renewable energy and good technical knowledge
Aware of potential in renewable energy due to past investments
Awareness of funding: know how to find European funding (knowledge and R&D)
People are open-minded to R&D
Good examples of innovation at SMEs
Spain is a large market

9. Weaknesses (1)
Financial crisis
Lack of trust and confidence (government, organisations, projects)
Bank financing is unavailable
Lot of projects depend (entirely) on grants
Public sector created high expectations but there are no funds now
Region’s status will change in the next period – lower intensity of EU support – less investments
Profitability is not ‘sure’ for several projects
Energy price fluctuation
Other uncertain variables

10. Weaknesses (2)
There is overcapacity of the energy sector
RES have to compete on the grid with (too cheap) fossil fuels
No continuity in the RES and EE regulations (political uncertainty)
Several agencies lack good communication
Different (policy) plans are not well aligned
Mentality: no long-term thinking and planning
Renewable energy is not a priority in the public opinion
SME’s lack knowledge of and have difficulties getting EU-(investment) funding
ELENA, JESSICA, European Investment Bank

11. Opportunities
Use knowledge in projects outside the region
Combining system knowledge in clusters
Focus on initiatives with clear results – e.g. smaller projects
Establishment of international energy cluster
Using the funds of Eastern-European countries – e.g. ENPI
Setting up/promoting ESCOs for energy efficiency
Increase communication between public and private sector
Valorisation of biomass
Awareness campaigns for inhabitants
i.e. domestic laboratories

12. Threats
No projects, no work
Brain-drain
Highly educated people and companies go abroad
Lose good international position in RES and EE
Worsening of the economic crisis

13. Conclusions and recommendations (1)
Ambitions, goals and policy
Make an integrated regional ‘Energy Master Plan’
National -> regional -> local level
Do this in ‘co-creation’ with stakeholders (regional, local government, environmental groups, energy industry, R&D)
Introduce green public procurement for government and public bodies
Creates a local market
Stimulates innovation
Organisational
Facilitate the creation of cross-sectoral clusters
Projects will emerge
Create international energy clusters
Share knowledge
Apply together for (European) funds (investment, knowledge sharing, R&D)
‘Rent a professor’
Couple a professor to companies to help them with a problem, give advice

14. Conclusions and recommendations (2)
Realisation of projects
Focus on projects and initiatives with short-term results (build confidence in own projects again)
Energy efficiency projects through ESCO’s seem attractive (i.e. EE-projects in SME textile industry)
Include / start with government, municipalities, etc. (give the good example)
Proof that projects are feasible and profitable
Create a new ‘sustainable demand’ for the energy surplus (i.e. electric cars)
Look with different perspective to project development
Start focussing on adding value. Don’t start with energy production or energy saving.
Financial value
Economical value
I.e. valorisation of biomass waste

15. Conclusions and recommendations (3)
Financing
Don’t build the project around grants. Use more private money
Use the high quality knowledge on RES and EE to export and earn money abroad.
Invest the money earned in R&D and projects in Valencia
Sell green energy certificates to other countries (to fulfil their goals)
Access (European) funds from other countries by teaming up with them (i.e. ENPI)
Establish an investment community and regional energy fund
Communication
Increase the awareness that RES and EE projects are profitable for
Economy
Environment
Increase the communication between public and private sector
Know and connect to the needs of the companies
Explain, communicate and promote the ESCO business model to companies and investors
Increase the ‘green image’ of companies (ISO )

16. Questions

17. Thank you
for your attention !