Växjö municipality, together with its inhabitants, businesses, organisations and university, are all working towards a better environment and a smaller carbon footprint. The city has high ambitions to make itself sustainable, energy-efficient, fossil fuel-free and with a large proportion of wooden buildings.
The city of Innsbruck in Austria (120 000 inhabitants) defined its 2025 Energy Plan back in 2009. In this context, and as part of the SINFONIA project, the city has selected its eastern district to demonstrate the large-scale implementation of energy-efficient measures, with the objective of achieving on average 40 % to 50 % primary energy savings in the demo sites, and to increase by at least 30 % the share of renewables in the district’s energy mix.
Since 2005, the Italian city of Bolzano (100 000 inhabitants) has developed an ambitious investment plan for large-scale urban refurbishment in collaboration with both public and private stakeholders. The work undertaken in the SINFONIA project is part of this plan, and aims to achieve 40 % to 50 % primary energy savings in the demo sites, and to increase the share of renewables in the district of Bolzano SW (south-west) by 20 %.
Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm, has been working on climate change mitigation and adaptation since the 1990s. The city is a real frontrunner with well implemented climate action plans and pioneering policies to ensure it meets its ambitious environmental targets. The carbon dioxide emissions have been cut by 25 % per citizen since 1990.
Situated on the banks of the River Rhine, Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany and home to key players in business and industry. The city is committed to the EU’s goal of achieving a 20 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20 % increase in the share of renewable energy and a 20 % increase in energy efficiency by 2020 based on 1990 levels. It aims to reduce CO2 even further, with a 50 % reduction by 2030.
Voted European Capital of Innovation 2014, Barcelona is a vast metropolitan hub with a long tradition of industry and entrepreneurship. Barcelona City Council encourages strategic initiatives aimed at generating international collaboration, and promoting a global and forward-looking vision to businesses and public bodies, as well as scientific and technological centres.
Eindhoven is the centre of the Brainport Region, one of today’s three top economic engines of the Netherlands, delivering about 14 % of the national gross domestic product (GDP). Two districts - Strijp-S and Eckhart Vaartbroek - will be transformed into sustainable living environments as part of TRIANGULUM.
The BEEM-UP building site in the Netherlands is located in the north-west of Delft, approximately 2.5 km from the city centre. The group of buildings is called Complex 5 and consists of 108 dwellings distributed over 3 types in 8 blocks constructed in 1958. The area has a specific identity as the surrounding buildings share the typical Dutch brick facade, a remarkable architectural quality.
The Swedish demo site of the BEEM-UP project is located in Alingsås and known as Brogarden. The area consists of multi-dwelling buildings built in the period 1971 to 1973, comprising a total of 300 apartments, divided into 16 houses with 2 to 4 floors each. All apartments have a balcony or patio.
The French demonstration site of the BEEM-UP project is located in the centre of Paris. The demonstration building is surrounded by buildings of similar height and is composed of 87 dwellings built around 1950. In 1993, the building was renovated (outer insulation, double-glazed windows, boilers), but it needed a major upgrade to become a pilot and an example for bringing the rest of the housing park to the low energy standard for renovated buildings, with a consumption target of less than 104 kWh/m²/yr for HVAC, hot water and lighting.
