A one-stop agency has been established in Vidzeme. More than 15 consultations have been provided.

Vidzeme EnergoGuide has been operating in the territory of the Vidzeme Planning Region (VPR), Latvia, since April of this year to help residents move towards renovating their apartment buildings. It is a free information support point that allows residents to meet with an energy efficiency expert in person and remotely and to ask questions about the building’s renovation steps.

Residents are provided with consultations by Dace Pastva, an expert in multi-apartment buildings. They can be applied for by calling 26675337 or writing to dace.pastva@vidzeme.lv. Currently, face-to-face meetings take place in Cēsis, Bērzaines street 5, or Valmiera, Purva street 12a (in the premises of the Vidzeme Planning Region). By agreement in advance, the place of consultation can also be elsewhere in Vidzeme region, Latvia.

“Since April, more than 15 consultations have taken place remotely and in person. Residents often ask about the preparation of documentation to apply for ALTUM support, as well as about the building’s energy efficiency assessment or audit report. It is an essential document to assess the building’s weakest points in terms of heat resistance, as well as to calculate the building’s heat balance and create a plan of measures to be implemented for building renovation. The biggest challenge at the moment is to be able to encourage residents that they can live warmer and that our homes are the place that needs to be taken care of.  I invite you to ask me – your Vidzeme EnergoGuide, about the steps involved in renovating multi-apartment buildings!” encourages Dace Pastva.

Along with individual consultations, the VPR team, together with Vidzeme EnergoGuide, goes to the residents of multi-apartment buildings, for which an energy audit was prepared with the support of the “RenoWave” project of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region program. Forum meetings with building residents have occurred in Mārciena parish of Madona county, Puikule parish of Limbažu county, and Cēsis town. Apartment owners, tenants, house managers, and representatives of associations participate in forum meetings. During the talks, the energy auditor presents the results of the energy audits of these buildings, as well as the VPR team creates a discussion about the current problems in the building, its technical condition, and other challenges that the residents of the house face daily, offering the best solutions and other practical recommendations.

Dampness, mold, cracks in walls, water accumulation in basements and attics, and uneven indoor temperature during the heating season – are the most typical problems mentioned during negotiations. Most residents admit that they want to renovate their house not only to make it look better but also because renovation has become an urgent necessity. Buildings age, and with regular repairs to prevent emergencies, they become more and more complicated and expensive to manage.

During this year, several more meetings are planned with building residents, managers, local government specialists, and experts to understand the need for building renovation and the most suitable solutions through joint negotiations. The next face-to-face meeting with Vidzeme EnergoGuide will take place on July 3 in Gulbene city. And on July 10 around 18.00 in Varaklāni. Residents and interested parties from other parishes and counties are invited to join these talks.

We invite you to follow the current information on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VidzemesEnergoGids  and www.vidzeme.lv.

In Latvia, the “RenoWave” project is implemented by the Vidzeme Planning Region and the Baltic Environmental Forum. It is introduced under the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Program 2021-2027 with the support of the European Regional Development Fund.

For questions: Eva Meijere, project manager in the Vidzeme Planning Region, e-mail: eva.meijere@vidzeme.lv

The information was prepared by Baiba Šelkovska, communication manager in the Vidzeme Planning Region, e-mail: baiba.selkovska@vidzeme.lv

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