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Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd.
About Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd.
Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd. acts as a central point in Međimurje County in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources (RES) and has implemented and participated in the implementation of several different projects. The first experience with the implementation of EU projects occurred at the very beginning of the agency’s operation, during its establishment through the IEE program whose main goal was to promote the idea of sustainable development. After that, Agency participated in three projects within the Operational Program SI-HR. The main goal of the IR-OVE and BIOREGIO projects was networking and encouraging cooperation between SMEs, development agencies, institutions and research centers in the field of energy efficiency and RES. In the EUpeR project, also funded under the Operational Program SI-HR, agency was the lead partner. Project activities were related to energy poverty and energy savings in households, as well as to research legislation in the field of energy efficiency. Furthermore, the agency participated as a partner in the implementation of two major international projects Dynamic Light and RURES under the INTERREG Central Europe program. The main goal of the RURES project is to exploit the potential of energy produced from renewable sources and increase energy efficiency in rural areas. The Dynamic Light project aims to reduce CO2 emissions and increase the energy efficiency of public lighting. The main goal of the project is to make a shift from the planning of the lighting infrastructure of local government units to a modern energy-efficient, demand-oriented lighting design with better management of the lighting and energy. As a project partner, Agency participated in the implementation of the EE SUN project within the INTERREG V-A Cooperation Program Hungary-Croatia 2014-2020. The main goal of this project was to develop a common methodology for energy renovation of multi-apartment buildings with the aim of ensuring continuous cooperation between different institutions in the HU-CRO cross-border area. The Agency also participated in the implementation of the RuGeoHeat project within the Seed Money Facility instrument of the INTERREG Danube program, which main goal was to analyze the potential of shallow geothermal energy usage and its use for heating in rural and suburban areas. The Agency is currently implementing the ENES-CE project within the INTERREG Central Europe program. The main goal of this project is to increase the capacity of public institutions in planning and implementing local energy strategies and plans in cooperation with citizens. Furthermore, in July 2020, within INTERREG V-A Hungary-Croatia 2014-2020 program Agency started the implementation of two projects: CO-EMEP and SEPlaM-CC. The main goal of CO-EMEP project is to increase cooperation in order to improve energy management and reduce energy poverty in the cross-border area, while the main goal of SEPlaM-CC project is to increase the capacity of cross-border public institutions in sustainable energy planning and climate change mitigation. In addition to the implementation of cross-border and transnational projects, the Agency also participates in the project Information, advisory and educational services in the energy sector for entrepreneurs in Međimurje County which main goal is to increase information and capacity of entrepreneurs in Međimurje County so they can improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy sources in their companies. Since 2016, Agency has been participating in the implementation of energy renovation projects of public buildings in Međimurje County and will continue its activities related to the management of public building renovation projects in the coming years.
Experiences
In addition to working on the application and implementation of various projects under national, cross-border and transnational programs, Agency has experience in developing strategic and planning documents related to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources such as sustainable energy and climate action plans for cities and municipalities, three-year and annual energy efficiency action plans for Medjimurje County, etc. Agency is also specialized in the development and implementation of energy audits of public lighting for cities, municipalities and counties, as well as energy audits of family houses and other buildings. Furthermore, Agency provides support in the preparation of applications for open calls for projects related to energy renovation of buildings and the use of renewable energy sources in the public sector, trade and tourism and housing (apartment buildings and family houses) as well as management services for large projects of energy renovation of public buildings. At the county level, Agency is in charge of systematic energy management of public buildings in Medjimurje County and provides data update services and in-depth analysis of the Energy Management Information System (EMIS) for these buildings.
Project team members
Katarina Drk Hutinec, project manager
Alen Višnjić, technical coordinator
Nina Jurinić, financial and administrative manager
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Zala County Government
About Zala County Government
Zala County Government (ZCG) is located in the county seat, in Zalaegerszeg. The organization mainly performs regional development, rural development, spatial planning and coordination tasks. Within the framework of these tasks, the county’s regional development concept was prepared, and the county’s integrated territorial program was also set up in order to coordinate the use of county resources. The government attaches great importance to job-creating investments, infrastructure development and the development of tourism, as well as all efforts to prevent the rural population from leaving the county and to improve the living conditions in the countryside.
ZCG also places great emphasis on environmental and climate protection. This is confirmed by the fact that Zala County Government is responsible for the implementation and coordination of the recently prepared “Zala County Climate Strategy 2018-2030”.
Experiences
Zala County Government has participated in several cross-border and transnational projects over the years. It was the lead partner in the IronCurtainCycling project, financed by the Interreg V-A Slovenia-Hungary Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. As a project partner, it participated in the Guide2Visit project, which was also a Slovenian-Hungarian cross-border cooperation. It acted as a partner in the INSiGHTS project, which was implemented by the sources of the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme, and took part in the HORIZON2020 project called Landsupport. The RURES project within the Interreg Central Europe Programme was also an important milestone, as the main objective here was to exploit the potentials of renewable energy sources and to increase energy efficiency in rural areas. Currently, there are five ongoing projects. ZCG is the lead partner in the project called Women-Puls, which is implemented within the Interreg V-A Austria-Hungary Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. The second one is the capCROSSplan project in the Slovenian-Hungarian cooperation, which aims to increase the capacity of cross-border institutions, and the third one is the CO-EMEP project with Croatia. It aims to reduce energy poverty, and to increase energy efficiency in the cross-border area. There is another project that is financed by the Interreg Hungary-Croatia Cooperation Programme 2014-2020, it is called Riverside. The main objective here is to establish a common nature management policy on the Danube-Drava-Mura line of the two countries. Finally, ZCG has also a transnational project called Dream Road, which focuses on the empowerment of Roma people. Overall, we can state that ZCG has significant experience in the preparation and implementation of EU-funded projects.
Project team members
Judit Pál-Harmath, project and communication manager
Judit Porkoláb, thematic expert
Rita Hellerné Vizsy, financial manager
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**The content is the sole responsibility of Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd. and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union and/or the Managing Authority.
