Handbook for Energy and Environmental Organizations

by Karsten Plejdrup, SEK

During the last 10-15 years many grassroots movements have emerged in Denmark, and they have actively taken part in the Danish debate on energy and environmental questions.

This work has resulted in the establishment of a network of energy and environmental offices throughout Denmark. They primarily give information and guidance on renewable energy and energy savings.

The local energy and environmental offices are organized as associations based on individual members, and they have for some years received governmental support, which has allowed them to rent offices and have employees. The work of these employees are independent information and implementation activities within the fields of sustainable energy solutions and other environmental solutions. Beside this, they have coordinated local efforts for energy and environmental activities.

Now the Danish energy and environmental offices have a comprehensive knowledge, that we will describe in this handbook.

The handbook is going to be a reference book which energy and environmental organizations in Eastern and Central Europe can use when establishing local energy and environmental offices and for other activities.

Contents

The book will tee divided in two sections: a section about organization & administration and a technical section.

We will describe how an open and democratic association can be established, with a stabile structure with bylaws and a governing committee, as well as the rights to realize projects and get economical grants.

Beside this, we will describe how an association/office can be organized and administrated in daily life.

The technical section will be the largest, and it will describe the different forms of renewable energy: solar, wind, biomass/biogas and others. For each source it will cover issues as:

Beside this, we will describe issues as conservation of heat and electricity, the importance of heat and power cogeneration, environmental consequences of the transport sector, some options for more environmentally benign industrial productions.

Production

If you as organization or person are interested in participating in the process of writing this handbook, please contact me or OVE. Use for instance the coupon at the bottom of this page.

Contact to politicians

To raise the awareness of the politicians for the potential of local energy and environmental activities as a mean to realize energy savings, renewable energy solutions etc, we plan an information-brochure aimed at politicians and relevent public officials. This brochure will explain the ideas behind energy and environmental offices, based on Danish experience.

Among other things, the brochure will describe the fruitful dialogue between the local energy-and environmental associations and central and local decision-makers to promote sustainable solutions.

The work with the handbook will be in collaboration with OVE International Secretariat.

For more information and copies of the outline, please contact:

OVE International Secretariat, att. Gunnar Boye Olesen, ph: + 45- 31429091, fax: +45-31429095 or SEK, att Karsten Plejdrup, ph: +4586612321, fax: +45 86614641

*SEK (Cdlaborating Energy and Environmentai Offices) is the Danish network of local energy and environmental offices. It collaborates with OVE on a number of issues.