The local energy and climate agency of the city of Lyon

ALEC LYON – AGENCE LOCALE DE L’ÉNERGIE ET DU CLIMAT DE LA MÉTROPOLE DE LYON – IS THE LOCAL ENERGY AND CLIMATE AGENCY OF THE GREATER LYON.

It was created in 2000 to implement actions regarding energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and green buildings for all local stakeholders. It mainly works with citizens, local authorities and social housing companies.

The Greater Lyon is a 515 km² large urban area grouping 59 cities and 1.3 million inhabitants together. It is the 2nd largest urban area in France, set in the Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne region, which is one of the most dynamic regions in France regarding renewable energy sources, universities, research centres, factories, and a large network of non-profit organizations. Thus, the energy agency of Lyon has very good links with many local, regional and national energy actors and local authorities.

ALEC Lyon has a team of 24 members of staff (March 2018) and its financial sources are mainly public :

• Local Funding : 55%
• National Funding : 20%
• Regional Funding : 11%
• European Funding : 4%
• Private Funding : 10%

ALEC’S TEAM HAS THREE MAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITIES

1. Awareness-raising and education (activities in schools, conferences, exhibitions, on-site visits, workshops…) ; professional training programmes ;
2. an energy information centre for local stakeholders mainly focused on energy efficiency in private existing buildings or new projects. Project management on energy and buildings’ technical aspects : high environmental quality of buildings, renewable energy sources in buildings (solar, PV and wood energy), energy efficiency standards. Since 2015 ALEC Lyon supports the Greater Lyon in the animation of the “energetic refurbishment platform for private households”.
3. Energy and climate local policies, from their definition to their implementation : we support the Greater Lyon and a large number of its member cities with implementing their local climate action plan. We are also involved in some projects dealing with district refurbishment (eco areas or eco districts) and issues like urban planning and energy management.

AWARENESS RAISING, TRAININGS, AND ENERGY EDUCATION

Over the last 2 years, we have annually organized around 100 events, such as : on-site visits of RES facilities and energy efficient buildings, fairs with information stands, conferences and debates on energy and climate issues. We also loan exhibits on home efficiency to other organisations and schools. Indeed, we also run energy-related activities within primary schools (pupils aged 10 to 12 years old). Additionally, we produce leaflets, a newsletter, and various other communication and information tools, a lot of which are available on our website.

ENERGY INFORMATION CENTRE

We are an energy information centre under agreement with the national energy agency, ADEME, offering advice to circa 2 600 people a year.

We also have a more technical role of producing short studies for private and social housing builders, local authorities and others. The agency works on these angles often from the project’s earliest stages, and help the decision makers write their call for tenders. These decision makers include local authorities, private and social housing builders, and multi-owner properties.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE LOCAL POLICIES, INCLUDING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

We have developed a tool specifically for climate and energy protection plans, called “La Mallette Plan Climat” and based on the Climate Compass from Climate Alliance. It is being implemented by approximately 20 cities of the Greater Lyon conurbation, with our technical and methodological support.

Our agency cooperates with local authorities (Greater Lyon, City of Lyon – 465 000 inhabitants – and City of Villeurbanne – 135 000 inhabitants) on matters related to the Covenant of Mayors, on :

1. Provision of methodologies (for an emissions inventory)
2. Support in developing Sustainable Energy Action Plans
3. Support in implementing SEAP

Additionally, we are involved in some projects dealing with district refurbishment (eco areas or eco districts) and issues like urban planning and energy management. This includes solar urban planning, or old district building refurbishment schemes. We are also involved in climate change adaptation strategies.

ALE LYON IS MEMBER OF SEVERAL NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS :

• FLAME, the French Federation of Local Energy Agencies
• CLER, the Renewable Energies Liaison Committee, a non-profit organization grouping together over 150 professionals from throughout the national territory, including : industrials, manufacturers, installers, distributors, consulting firms, architects, professional syndicates and federations, research and training centres, universities, local communities, non-profit organizations, energy agencies…
• IERA, Rhône-Alpes Energy Information, a regional network of 11 non-profit organizations and around 180 employees advising citizens on energy issues.

ALEC Lyon has been involved in European projects since its beginning. The creation of the agency was itself funded by an EU Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) – SAVE project and influenced by a THERMIE programme on energy efficiency in buildings, called REStart.

Since then, we have been involved in :

SUBCONTRACTING ACTIVITIES ON VARIOUS PROJECTS

→ With Rhônalpénergie Environnement (RAEE)

• BUDI : energy performance certificates (IEE SAVE 2007)
• PROMENLAB : energy label on buildings (IEE SAVE 2004)
• BIOPROM : biomass energy promotion in urban areas (IEE ALTENER 2007)

→ With FLAME, our national local energy agencies

• Eco’n’Home : work with citizens on CO₂ emissions reductions at home and in transport, (IEE SAVE 2009)

→ With Energie Cités

• REVE Jura Leman : work on the adaptation for the French context of a German and Swiss climate and energy certification tool, European Energy Award (Interreg IIIC, 2009)

→ With HESPUL

• Smarter Together : Horizon 2020 Smart Cities program : www.smarter-together.eu ; ALEC Lyon is involved in the behaviour change of refurbished buildings’ occupiers.               

→ And as direct partners

• AMICA : work on the implementation of a local climate action plan, with mitigation and adaptation aspects (Interreg IIIC 2005,
  www.amica-climate.net)
• SOLPOOL : work on solar energy use on outdoor swimming pools (IEE Altener 2007, www.solpool.info)

RECENT PROJECTS AS DIRECT PARTNERS

• POLIS : development of active and passive solar potential in urban projects (IEE Altener 2009, www.polis-solar.eu)
• BEAM 21 : blended capacity training program for local decision makers and municipal technical staff on climate and energy issues and measures (IEE SAVE 2009, www.beam21.eu)
• Promotion 3E : promotion of energy efficient electrical equipment through the training of appliances’ sales personnel on energy efficiency issues (IEE SAVE 2008, www.promotion3e.ips.pt/promotion3e)
• Renaissance : work on the large scale integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into decentralised local energy supplies. (FP6 Concerto 2005, www.renaissance-project.eu)
• WinForRes : to animate an interactive, multimedia and multilingual web portal targeted at potential customers of small-scale RES installations (IEE SAVE 2010 http://www.winforres.eu/fr/)

• LEAF : the program targets the low energy renovation of multi-ownership buildings. LEAF plans to create a toolkit wich facilitates multi-occupancy building low-energy upgrades, and to integrate in local example projects the Energy Performance certificates. (IEE SAVE 2012) – http://www.lowenergyapartments.eu/
• SMERGY : develop a campaign to impulse behaviour change to young adults (18-30 years old) with energy saving tips. The campaign is based on a website with articles and a tool (smergymeter) with energy actions which can be selected and translated in kWh, €, kg CO₂. http://www.smergy.eu/ – http://smergy.fr/