Iren Group contributes to the reduction of environmental impacts by customers, through energy efficiency and rebuilding interventions that in 2021 concerned:
- energy requalification of buildings with the start of numerous interventions of requalification and recovery of building facades, including several social housing buildings mainly in Genoa, Reggio Emilia and Savona;
- efficient city public lighting, thanks to the replacement of traditional lamps with LED fixtures that guarantee a reduction in energy consumption of more than 50%. The main project concerns the City of Turin, in addition to the activities carried out in the Municipalities of Alba, Asti, Biella, Fidenza, Vercelli and other small municipalities. In 2022, management is expected to be extended to the cities of Cuneo and Tizzano Val Parma;
- upgrading of heating plants in municipal buildings, with the continuation of work (revamping 2 and 3) on the heating plants of numerous buildings in the City of Turin;
- installation of thermostatic valves and heat dividers in condominium contexts, which allow the reduction of consumption in individual apartments. Savings are calculated on the basis of the historical data of the apartment buildings, comparing the consumption before and after the intervention;
- heat management for private buildings with the replacement of diesel and traditional boilers with energy efficient condensing boilers. Savings are calculated by comparing the replaced boiler’s rating plate data with that of the high efficiency boiler, and the Group took measurements before or after installation under the same conditions of use and weather conditions.
At the end of 2021, Iren Group acquired Bosch Energy and Building Solutions Italy, expanding the services provided in the energy efficiency sector, also as ESCo (Energy Service Company), in the design, construction and management of integrated heating systems, air conditioning and cogeneration for public and private customers.
Energy communities
In 2021 the line of activities for the development of energy communities and collective self-consumption systems was consolidated, in order to promote the diffusion of renewable source plants to condominiums, Public Administrations and small- and medium-sized businesses. Through energy communities, multiple users can share the electricity produced by one or more photovoltaic systems. The objective, therefore, is to encourage the installation of photovoltaic systems in contexts where the sharing of energy between several parties can generate economic and environmental benefits, while ensuring an important contribution to the competitiveness of companies involved and, more broadly, the development of distributed generation as an enabling tool for energy transition. The first pilot project was launched in Parma, adopting a management system that, based on the instantaneous consumption of condominium users, automatically manages the energy produced by the photovoltaic system, maximising energy self-consumption.
New development opportunities are emerging in this area, i.e. urban regeneration projects that allow for the return to the community of large brownfield sites redeveloped and designed to be low environmental impact or positive energy balance.