Project Presentation

The three year RETS project (Renewable Energies Transfer System) is funded through the INTERREG IV C programme and is a partnership of 12 organisations in nine countries. The aim of the project is to improve the knowledge and competencies of local and regional policy makers in renewable energy systems, and by doing so facilitate a greater deployment of effective renewable energy policies at local and regional levels. Through encouraging the set-up of sustainable development policies, the RETS project provides a way to anticipate European and international legislation, thus participating in the EU 2020 commitments: 20/20/20.
 

The INTERREG IV C programme is a perfect instrument for realising the RETS objectives, being a programme that actively encourages interregional cooperation for improving the effectiveness of regional development policies.

The project challenge   
RETS aims to tackle the challenges of renewable energies (RES) for local and regional authorities (in particular  those with less than 25,000 inhabitants) in association with the expertise of existing competency centres  that produce research, provide services, and use competitive intelligence tools on renewable energies.  These small-sized authorities have to combat issues linked to their territorial competitiveness and access to project management skills for the implementation of complex projects (energy-mix).

RETS benefits
The RETS project will benefit local and regional authorities through the creation of simple usable tools to help them make informed choices for the implementation of the right renewable energy strategy within their territories. These tools include:

  • The publication of collected and analysed regional renewable energies initiatives in a good practice guidebook
  • Study visits to exchange ideas and practices between members of the RETS community
  • Tailored RES seminars for local authorities to transfer knowledge, good practices and stimulate policy implementation
  • The creation of an online community through a collaborative IT platform www.rets-community.eu

The RETS project started in January 2010 and will finish in December 2012.

The objective of the RETS project is to improve the knowledge and competencies of local and regional policymakers in renewable energies through the effective collection, analysis, exchange and transfer of good practices in renewables. This will be realised through the creation of a European community for local authorities on renewable energies, comprised of two key elements: physical tools for meeting and exchanging viewpoints and a virtual platform for collaborative exchange and transfer of good practice through an innovative online approach.

Project outputs
See also the page RETS Exchange

The main project outputs include:

  • 3 dissemination conferences (Serta, Sittard-Geleen, Strasbourg)
  • A project web portal and collaborative wiki
  • 10 newsletter issues
  • 45 good practices of regional initiatives in renewables on the web and in a good practice guidebook
  • 6 study visits
  • 10 interregional seminars
  • 25 collaborative articles on renewables and the deployment of a competitive intelligence information service

The immediate project result is expected within the members of the consortium and their regional local authority network contacts. RETS will then rapidly have a wider reach to other local authorities through the dissemination of its good practices and knowledge via the RETS web portal and guidebook.