Description (EN): The project aims to introduce in practice, test, evaluate and distribute within the framework of the public administration and the business sector a new comprehensive method for urban management and regional planning in the field of proposing and assessing energy projects. The main viewpoint is efficient utilisation of natural resources and the real environmental protection so that the number of wrongly assessed projects of renewable energy sources is reduced by 50%.
The new method will use an innovative software tool – an interactive map of conditions for renewable and alternative energy sources including biofuels.
The project will create an environment and tools for effective implementation of the EU policy and regulations with emphasis on municipality and natural resources planning in all territories of the Czech Republic. It defines the possibilities and parameters for utilisation of the renewable energy sources and biofuels on the long-term scale with respect to the principles of environmental, economic and social sustainability, as well as preservation of biodiversity, food safety and local energy-supply self-sufficiency in the given locality.
Objective(s) of the project
The goals of the project are:
•Create and bring to the legislative level a new comprehensive methodology for assessment of building and operating RES and production plants of biofuels, with the aid of an interactive map showing the conditions for renewable and alternative energy sources.
•On the basis of existing software and data sources, create an innovative tool for objective decision-making about the utilisation of natural resources and environment for the energy-supply purposes, establishing the conditions for development of sustainable energy while preserving the biodiversity, food and energy safety, and respecting the local conditions and environmental impacts. As a basis, the geographical technology and online application will be used – an interactive map, which will gather all available data into one source and tie the data with a cadastral area as a basic unit. This map will include all source information necessary for decision-making by key persons – from an overview of soil types to types of biomass grown to biowaste and other natural resources, to competitive technologies and options for output utilisation, to local specific features or restrictions of the landscape.
•Implement the new methodology including the interactive map and bring it to the attention at the regional level, including town and municipalities, both in the public administration and among the business and in the general public, including enhancement of relationships with science and research.
Planned project activities including deadlines or duration
The project started in 2011 and was completed at the end of 2014. In 2015 multiplication to macroregional level within the EU Strategy for the Danube Region is planned via submission of application to the DANUBE Transnational Programme.
Need and added value for Danube Region Strategy
Various RES utilization approaches are exercised in different parts of the Danube region mainly with respect to protection of local sources and environment. Through the exchange of good practice and elaboration of a common methodology for the whole Danube region while respecting diversities between urban and rural areas, we will achieve a significant improvement of preconditions for an efficient utilization of RES technologies as a future fundament of European energy policy. Therefore, it is required to ensure their application and utilization with highest possible efficiency while mitigating their impact on environment.
Transboundary impact
The project has been selected to be one of the top ten projects dealing with responsible development and innovation in the Czech Republic. Due to its characteristics the methodology can be used within the whole Danube Region to support good agriculture practice, common approaches for urban/rural areas within the Danube region and common upper-regional methodology.
Read more Achievements (EN): The ReStEP project developed a method to assess the conditions and appropriateness of projects for renewable and alternative energy sources, including biofuels. The methodology, called the Regional Sources Assessment, is implemented via a newly-developed software tool including an interactive map that features the conditions for renewable and alternative energy sources. These
conditions include a full encyclopedia of data on sun, wind, water, geothermal and biomass energy potential, as well as information on environmental sustainability (e.g. soil protection, air quality, etc) and socio-economic features covering the entire Czech Republic. By crossing all this data, the tool allows the user to evaluate the appropriateness and viability of specific RES projects. The
extent of the information provided by this map is unique with 113 data layers. Nowhere else can users find, in a single place, all the relevant and important information relating to land-use planning and to the use of renewable energy sources.
Using this new methodology to assess new investments and regional development plans is expected to help decrease the pressure of RES on the environment, biodiversity and agricultural production. The project managed to engage all key actors from the start. The inputs and feedback from national and regional authorities, experts in the field of renewable energy resources, producers, investors and even NGOs and the general public were reflected in the final version of the ReStEP tool and manual. The software and database were successfully tested by preparing four case studies on existing installations, four assessments of new investments into renewable energy sources and four regional policy plans. The tests confirmed the good applicability of the methodology developed.
As seen above, the tool can be used by state and regional authorities for regional policies and planning but also by private companies and academia. All the information is available to all for free via the project website (http://www.restep.cz) and includes a user manual. The project results were demonstrated at international level and there was confirmed interest from other European countries to replicate the ReStEP approach.
At national level, the methodology has already been certified by the Ministry of Agriculture as a new voluntary tool and some of its principles were also incorporated into the national Action Plan for Biomass (2012-2020). The project team hoped the responsible ReStEP approach would help restore public support for renewable energy sources, significantly damaged by uncontrolled incentives a
few years ago. In terms of communication and educational activities for the public administration, the project produced brochures, leaflets, workshops (14 regional and 5 thematic ones and one international meeting) and e-learning courses. The project also provided training for 238 public administration employees from the Ministry of Environment, 14 Regional Offices, 5 state
institutions and 120 towns and municipalities.
In terms of communication and educational activities for investors and operators of RES, 10 workshops and e-learning courses were organised. Similarly, communication activities such as brochures and posters, surveys, reports and articles were organised for the general public, as well as 6 workshops and 3 seminars.
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