About
ABOUT THE ENERGY EFFICIENT SME PLATFORM
The platform energyefficientsme.eu is developed for anyone who is concerned with supporting SMEs to run a sustainable business. Are you a business association, business park manager, local government, or business advisor? Then you may take interest in the collective approach.
This platform was developed on behalf of the GEAR@SME consortium. All information has been developed or collected from existing sources by the consortium partners, reviewed, and made available for use by all to whom it may be of interest. The platform provides answers to questions such as:
- How can I motivate SMEs to take interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy?
- How can a collective approach help remove barriers to energy saving?
- How do I develop an energy collective with a cluster of SMEs?
- Which measures are most interesting to focus on, and how do I choose between them?
The information on this platform is organized via four routes which – depending on your knowledge needs and personal interests – can be used to navigate through the contents:
Explore – For those who wish to know more about the collective approach. The Handbook is organized into five key topics relevant to developing collectives with a cluster of SMEs, which you can explore chronologically or thematically. The Handbook contains links to supporting tools and materials, which can also be accessed directly through the Smart Advisor (see below).
Implement – For those in search of supporting materials and tools for developing an energy collective. The Smart Advisor gives access to training material to help Trusted Partners master the key concepts, practical guidelines on a variety of topics such as identifying relevant stakeholders, or contracting energy service suppliers, information on attractive energy efficiency technologies for SMEs, and tools for identifying and calculating (multiple) benefits.
Get Inspired – For those who wish to see examples of other Trusted Partners who have developed successful energy collectives.
Interact – For those who wish to get in touch with other developers of energy collectives, or who wish to raise a specific discussion topic.
All guidelines and tools are freely available from this website. However, for the application of most guidelines and tools, a certain level of expertise and/or technical knowledge is recommended. In case you require expert advice or support, or if you need help implementing specific training materials, guidelines or tools, please contact one of the GEAR@SME consortium members.
ABOUT THE GEAR@SME PROJECT
GEAR@SME stands for “Generate Energy-efficient Acting and Results at Small and Medium Enterprises. The project paves the way for accelerating investments by SMEs in energy efficiency and renewable energy by acknowledging that an individual approach to this topic does not work for many of them. Instead, individual and collective approaches should be combined, via a Trusted Partner who is already supporting SMEs and who understands and represents their interests.
GEAR@SME ran four Use Cases across four countries to provide examples and proof of the impact of this concept, in which individual and collective approaches have been combined. Specific attention has been given to:
- Setting up and running energy collectives
- Developing energy projects for members of a collective
- Multiple benefits
The analysis of collected data and the exchange of experiences led to the development of a new, optimised set of tools and guidelines to be used for the successful application of this concept.
The concept of SME energy collectives is not equally familiar in all EU countries. The materials on this website have therefore been designed to accommodate a wide array of situations and should be more tailored to specific contexts once energy collectives start to develop there. We have also been made aware of a need for more detailed information on local regulation and funding opportunities regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, which we may not be able to meet fully through project deliverables, To meet these needs, be it on a more ad hoc basis, there is also a Community of Practice tied to this platform.
The GEAR@SME project (2020-2023) has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program under Grant Agreement No. 894356. For more information on the GEAR@SME project, please visit the project website.
ABOUT THE GEAR@SME CONSORTIUM
The GEAR@SME consortium consists of knowledge institutes, multiplying organizations, and energy service suppliers from Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden. The consortium partners offer direct support, motivation, and energy expertise to the Trusted partners of the use cases, in all the steps of initiating and operating a local energy collective.
For more information on the GEAR@SME consortium and their activities, please visit the respective company websites or contact us.
