STEP UP draws on the partner cities’ existing experience of integrated energy planning, building on this through learning and adapting experience from other cities and partners to create a coherent and easy-to-use model for energy planning. This model will be adopted in multiple cities to deliver faster and greater impacts for Europe's 2020 energy targets. It will also help deliver wider policy objectives such as improving security of energy supplies, achieving urban regeneration, economic growth, and tackling fuel poverty – making these cities better places to live, work, learn and do business.
STEP UP will take an integrated approach to energy planning, integrated project design and implementation by addressing three themes together:
■ Energy and technology
■ Economics
■ Organisation and stakeholders
STEP UP partner cities will significantly enhance their Covenant of Mayors Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) to tackle all three Europe 2020 20% targets in:
■ Energy efficiency / energy reduction
■ Growth of renewable energy
■ Carbon emissions reduction
STEP UP will address these challenges by:
■ Creating an energy planning approach for developing and enhancing strategic energy plans
■ Demonstrating this approach works to deliver faster and greater positive environmental and economic impacts
■ Disseminating and replicating this approach through a learning network to other ambitious cities across Europe
■ Showcasing best practice innovative cross-sector energy solutions and projects
■ Developing a “framework” for integrated project development and bringing several high level innovation pilots projects to the edge of application.
■ Addressing economics, financing and stakeholder engagement to facilitate rapid deployment and replication.
STEP UP will identify and promote existing best practice on integrated cross sector energy solutions, such as waste industrial heat integrated into district heating networks or electric cars supporting smart electricity grids. STEP UP partner cities will draw inspiration from the winning elements of lighthouse projects and develop common innovative projects which contribute to tackling their common climate and energy challenges and opportunities.
STEP UP will bring several large scale innovative projects with integrated cross sector elements to the edge of implementation in each city. These innovative projects will build on existing efforts in each city as a way to ensure deployment in the 2013-2020 timeframe, and thus supporting the Europe 2020 targets.
STEP UP’s innovative projects will show that integrated planning achieves better energy outcomes and economics as compared to the traditional approach.
STEP UP will engage other cities in a Learning Network where excellence on energy planning and best practice on integrated cross sector energy solutions are shared and supported. The most dedicated and ambitious participants in the network will become companion cities to the STEP UP partners and receive coaching and training.
Study tours of the STEP UP partners' cities will be run for city planning professionals and commercial enterprises interested in energy planning and the STEP UP approach to integrated cross sector project development. Training and learning initiatives will extend the impact of STEP UP beyond the life of the project and across a much wider range of cities