PRACTISE, co-funded by EC, is a transnational project supporting the implementation of sustainable energy practices in local communities, in conformity with EU goals.
PRACTISE addresses Alessandria toward the creation of a Sustainable Energy Community (SEC).
SEC's can be defined as Local communities in which politicians, planners, developers, market actors and citizens actively co-operate to demonstrate and develop high degrees of decentralised energy supply, favouring renewable energy sources, together with a conscientious application of energy efficiency measures in all end-use sectors.
The Target Areas of this Key Action correspond to three main axes: 
the local policy making, 
the local energy citizenship, 
the local energy market.
The project foresees the realisation of activities aimed to promote energy efficiency and alternative energy and addresses more in general to the establishment of a SEC according to HKA1 target areas: 
HKA1.1 Promoting energy citizenship and mobilising local energy actors 
HKA1.2 Local community planning for RES supply, efficient use of energy, demand side management and associated mobility 
HKA1.3 Establish favourable conditions for local energy markets and services to reach a critical mass
The main objective will be pursued by the following secondary objectives: 
Creation of a widespread culture of energetic sustainability sharing and supporting and mobilization of energy local actors; 
Punctual individuation and campaign against non-technological barriers which obstruct - in the reference territories of the project - a wider energetic sustainability; 
Rationalisation of energy use and promotion of renewable energies use for public and private buildings.

The Practise Project involves 4 European Countries, having big differences on the energy context, but with a strong motivation in the sustainable development. The project partnership is composed by transnational and local organisations: 
Municipality of Alessandria (proposer - Italy) 
Dèpartement d'Ille et Vilaine (France) 
Municipality of La Coruña (Spain) 
Ploiesti City Hall (Romania) 
TTR (United Kingdom) 
Provincia di Alessandria (Italy) 
Università del Piemonte Orientale (DISAV) (Italy) 
AMAG (Italy) 
Collegio Costruttori Edili Alessandria (Italy) 
Ordine degli Ingegneri della Provincia di Alessandria (Italy) 
CIELE (France) 
AILE (France)

Supporters: 
Regione Piemonte (Italy) 
Ordine Architetti (Italy) 
Istituto nazionale Bioarchitettura (Italy) 
WWF - Alessandria (Italy) 
La Conchiglia (Italy) 
Bretagne Romantique (France) 
Ademe (France)

The achievement of project objectives will be developed through a participative and methodologically reproducible strategy in other European contexts.
The project develops a complex of non-technological actions to favour and share in the local communities more sustainable models of energy use and production.
The implementation phase will operate on two fronts: Entity and Territory.
In order to improve the energetic performances the local entities involved directly partecipate in the management of its own real estate and reduce energetic consumption modifying public lighting.
Interventions on public buildings (town halls, school, theatres,...) will be an important example for the community and, moreover, will have a great impact for the rationalisation of consumptions since the real estate of public entities is very relevant.

TARGET GROUPS and ACTIONS

Stakeholders: Consultation service, participation in decision processes.

Community of technicians (researchers, experts and professionals working in the energy field, trainers, teachers): Awakening, vocational training, consultation service

Citizenship: Publicity campaigns, consultation service

The PRACTISE project aims to: 
significantly increase the amount of local Sustainable Energy initiatives launched within territorial communities 
hugely develop the awareness of the population regarding Sustainable Energies and create an exponential synergy of actors 
create a productive network of experts of the Community in all fields of Sustainable energy 
promote reproducible participative actions of the population in the sustainable energy field 
improve the knowledge and the transferability of initiatives concerning the creation and implementation of a Sustainable Energy Community 
promote innovative and reproducible training actions for the actors of the Community 
balance the communities' territories in term of sustainable energies, especially in the more isolated areas. 
exchange best practices in sustainable energy between the different partners of the Community 
Promote a continuous improvement of the Energy Action Plan through the participation of the Community population 
Enhance the Socio-economic conditions of the Community

The achievement of project objectives will be developed through a participative and methodologically reproducible strategy in other European contexts.

The project will have a three years' duration, a total budget of 1.611.437 Eur, whose about 669.620 Eur will be addressed to Italian partners. The EC grant will cover 49,6% of total costs.

IEE supports European policies in the field of Rationale Use Energy (RUE) and Renewable Energy Sources (RES) its objectives are: 
the reduction of energetic consumption of 1% per year; 
the increase of renewable energy consumption from 6% to 12% entro il 2010; 
raggiungere entro il 2010 il 22.1% di elettricità prodotta da fonti rinnovabili; 
incrementare la produzione di elettricità prodotta da cogenerazione by 2010; 
development of RES potential; 
promotion of the results of Kyoto Conference.
These actions should contribute to reduce the emissions of CO2 - the gas mainly responsible of climate changes.
Programme is divided in 4 fields: 
SAVE, about the Energy Efficiency and RUE 
ALTENER, to promote new and renewable energy sources 
STEER, supports initiatives concerning energy efficiency and renewable energy in transport 
COOPENER: about initiatives on the promotion of renewable and efficient energies in developing countries.

The thematic priorities have been structured along Key Actions. Each Key Action is divided in Target Areas (TA).
Key Actions which have their focus clearly in one of the fields are called Vertical Key Actions (VKA) whereas Key Actions which address several fields at the same time are called Horizontal Key Actions (HKA).

Information:
europa@comune.alessandria.it 
 
Project Practise web site: www.energypractise.eu