The initiative, driven by the Europace Foundation, the Catalan Institute of Energy (ICAEN), ECrowd!, and EnerAgen, aims to overcome the barriers hindering the decarbonization of municipal facilities. According to project data, 78% of Catalan municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants have priority buildings for energy renovation in the next 3 years, but only 14.6% have their own technical staff for energy or building maintenance aspects.
The offices will offer comprehensive support throughout the renovation process, from initial diagnosis and identification of energy improvement opportunities to supervision and monitoring of actions. They will also provide assistance in seeking funding and in preparing and executing works.
The services are divided into three modalities: strategic planning and investment prioritization; comprehensive support in the renovation of specific buildings; and development of community projects such as heat networks and energy communities.
To extend its reach throughout the territory, MERIT-OS has signed collaboration agreements with the Association of Rural and Maritime Initiatives of Catalonia (ARCA), the Leader Ponent Association, and the Leader Rural Development Consortium of Camp.
