CONCERTO was launched and co-funded by the European Commission under the 6th and 7th Framework for Research and Technological Development of the Directorate-General for Transport and Energy (DG TREN).
The main objective of CONCERTO is to promote exemplary construction in terms of energy efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy systems at the territory scale. It implements key documents with regards to energy policy and decision makers with the strong expectation for replication.
The first request for proposal achieved on December 2003 with 42 projects received by the European Commission. On the 17 that answered at all requirements, only 9 were finally selected.
CONCERTO project are often presented like a full-sized laboratory, that able to dare restrictive perspectives. Capitalisation and diffusion of contributions will be charged by CONCERTO Plus, an interdisciplinary team who convey cities’ recommendations to European Commission and national authorities.
RENAISSANCE stands for : Renewable ENergy Acting In SuStainable And Novel Community Enterprises
In 2003, Saragossa’s Municipality (Spain), Bracknell city (England) and the Grand Lyon (France) associated each other to make a consortium and to respond to the CONCERTO call of purposal. The project submitted by these cities, called RENAISSANCE, stands for 3 exemplary urban operations and has been graded at the first rank by experts.
Since withdrawal of Bracknell city in 2006, Grand Lyon has become the project leader and the Italian Lombardy Region was associated on research & development activities.
CONCERTO projects acted like triggering of imagination and allow restrictive perspectives that we didn’t want to foresee several months before. They are often presented as full-sized labotary, labotory for construction on one side but on the other side to evaluate the know-how.
Research & Development activities as part of RENAISSANCE project exploit the unique opportunity to innovate in terms of energy and urban development policy.
The project is build upon best practice eco-building solutions by researching and applying innovation, addressing all phases of the build process from planning, building design, construction and life time operation. The results will be used as a basis for setting future energy efficiency regulations in the local buildings sector and for onward replication.
The project also undertakes research and development work to establish innovative commercial and fiscal mechanisms to underpin the creation of local energy services and thus provide a flexible and sustainable approach to the local provision and distribution of electricity, heating and cooling. Also research aims to develop an Energy Services Company (ESCO) model based on existing research and feasibility assessments carried out in Zaragoza and Lyon, and models of successful ESCO development drawn from across Europe.
RENAISSANCE gains new understanding regarding community perception of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy sources (RES) measures and to improve the measurement of acceptance and adaptation to changes in energy use habits through its research actions.
The project develops and demonstrates the technologies and mechanisms necessary to monitor and evaluate the energy flows and performance of the communities involved and to contribute to a joint programme of work (Concerto Plus) to establish standards with other CONCERTO communities.
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