Local services
The General Assembly of the Municipality of Debrecen will meet for the last time in 2024, where the representatives will once again make decisions on significant matters. The proposals concern the applications for the use of TOP+ funds, the new measures of the Green Codex, and the operation of the Environmental Monitoring System. Mayor László Papp, Deputy Mayor Ákos Balázs, and Viktor Papp, the leader of the Fidesz-KDNP Faction, reported on the proposals submitted to the council on December 18, 2024.
The City of Debrecen is applying for more TOP+ tenders in the spirit of sustainability
The Municipality of Debrecen intends to submit new applications for support under the Regional and Settlement Development Operative Program Plus, i.e. TOP+. During the application round, the Municipality intends to launch significant developments in connection with three types of calls this time. It can be said that each application fits into the Debrecen 2030 urban development strategy. The investments significantly contribute to the promise, which is not only expressed in slogans. The city administration also focuses on the well-being and prosperity of the people of Debrecen in the TOP+ tenders.
1. In response to the call for proposals for “Sustainable Urban Development” (activity groups: Livable Settlements, Social Urban Rehabilitation, Development of Inner City Roads), the Municipality would like to launch the below projects for a total of 2 billion 305 million HUF in funding:
· Environmental Renewal of the Inner City Phase II,
· Development of Inner City Collector Roads, and
· Renovation of the Kismacsi Community House
2. In response to the call for proposals for the “Sustainable Human Infrastructure” (activity groups: Development of Childcare Support and Public Education Infrastructure, and Development of Local Health and Social Infrastructure), the Municipality is planning to decide to submit the below applications for a total of approximately 1 billion 505 million HUF in funding:
· Development of the Görgey Street Kindergarten,
· Complex renovation of the Szoboszlói Road Kindergarten,
· Complex renovation of the Kemény Zsigmond Street Kindergarten,
· Complex renovation of the medical practice at 6 Alsójózsai Street,
· Complex renovation of the Haláp medical practice, and
· Renovation of the Földi János Street medical practice.
3. In response to the call for proposals for “Sustainable Human Developments” (activity groups: Social Urban Rehabilitation, Local Human Developments), the Municipality intends to apply for the following projects in cooperation with the Méliusz Juhász Péter Library:
· Highly Automated Library Services in Debrecen’s underserved neighborhoods,
· Strengthening Local Identity in Debrecen and
· Strengthening Local Identity in Debrecen in the Libakert, Sestakert, Újkert, Vénkert target areas.
In the case of calls 2-3, the Municipality intends to apply with the Civilians for the Youth Association as consortium partners in addition to the Library. The requested funding for the three applications is close to HUF 1 billion 200 million.
In the case of applications submitted for all three calls, it can be said that the support is considered a non-refundable grant. Its maximum amount is 100% of all eligible costs, which the Municipality will request as an advance in the event of a winning application.
Energy efficiency measures for apartments heated by district heating: proposal for the creation of a regulation on specific issues of heating cost allocators
Following the transposition of the European Union energy efficiency directives on the metering and accounting of buildings with district heating and central heating without district heating pipes into the Hungarian legal system, based on the authorization of the Act on District Heating Services, local governments must establish in a local government decree by the 31st of December 2024 on:
· The technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness specific aspects, scheduling and other conditions for the installation of heating cost allocators,
· The savings rate related to district heating services in the event of their application and
· The maximum achievable heat savings for heating purposes expressed as a percentage concerning the central heating system.
In the case of residential buildings and mixed-purpose buildings with district heating services, except for parts of the building in common use, it is mandatory to install a heating cost allocator on each heat emitter if it is technically feasible and cost-effective in terms of proportionality to the potential energy savings.
In the case of a technically feasible and cost-effective investment, users are obliged to ensure the installation and use of heating cost allocators within one year after the completion of the cost-effectiveness analysis, but no later than the 1st of January 2027, about which
· The common representative of the condominium or the president of the housing cooperative must declare to the district heating service provider and
· The notary of the local government checks the fulfilment of the users’ obligations regarding cost allocators.
Following the introduction of the described legal provisions, Debrecen Heat Supply PLC conducted an impact assessment for the buildings it provides with district heating services, based on which it can be concluded that the number of technically feasible and cost-effective investments at the city level is negligible. According to the district heating service provider’s calculations, there are only 11 buildings in the city with district heating services where cost allocators are technically feasible and cost-effective.
Taking into account the impact assessment carried out by Debrecen Heat Supply PLC. and the recommendation sent to district heating service providers by the Hungarian District Heating Service Providers Professional Association,
· The proposal suggests setting the maximum achievable heat quantity savings (savings ratio) for heating purposes in the case of the use of heating cost allocators in the regulation at a uniform value of 0.10
· In the case of establishing a reliable measurement of the amount of heat for heating purposes per building section or the use of heating cost allocators, the regulation proposes to set the value of the savings ratio at a uniform value of 10%.
In addition to determining the savings rate, the draft regulation stipulates that in the case of the use of heating cost allocators, users are required to:
· Declare the technical feasibility and the results of the cost-effectiveness assessment to the district heating service provider by the 31st of December 2025 at the latest, that
· The heating cost allocators have been installed and used by the 31st of December 2026 at the latest.
The law on district heating also defines a sanction, according to which, if a building owner community does not use cost allocators for one year after a positive cost-effectiveness assessment, the amount of heating heat to be billed for each apartment must be determined as the product of 2.5 times the specific heating heat consumption of the place of use and the heated air volume of the flats, as long as it does not comply with this legal obligation. Based on statutory authorisation, the local government decree submitted to the General Assembly proposes to establish this at a reduced rate, with a multiplier of 1.1, to ensure that users have to count on lower expenses as a sanction in the event of failure to install cost allocators.
The Municipality would like to expand the Prefabricated House Program further, supporting the modernisation and renovation of multi-apartment residential buildings, resulting in energy savings. This provides an opportunity for condominiums and housing cooperatives to improve the energy efficiency of buildings by installing cost allocators. Using the local government support portion and the central support sources expected to appear shortly aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of district heating services, users’ expenses can be significantly reduced when implementing investments aimed at energy efficiency.
On the review of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) of the City of Debrecen with County Rights and the adoption of the first monitoring report
Debrecen’s long-term vision is to become a sustainable and innovative macro-regional centre with a high quality of life and a cross-border role. It is a caring city that adapts flexibly to changing external conditions, provides an attractive urban environment for its inhabitants smartly and sustainably, prepares for the challenges of climate change and contributes to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change’s impact is felt globally and regionally, and it also affects everyday life.
Given the above, the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (hereinafter SECAP) was completed in 2018. It is a strategic document that defines measures taken at the municipal level to achieve sustainable energy management and combat climate change.
The SECAP sets out comprehensive and specific goals for reducing emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change, and reducing energy poverty to achieve the city’s vision for the future.
The document prepared based on the review and now before the General Assembly presents the city’s energy use based on the data of the 2007 base year, as well as the measures taken over the past two decades to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and contains the SECAP’s revised baseline emissions inventory and the first monitoring study.
SECAP also reveals the steps and measures necessary to achieve the goals. SECAP supports the municipality in planning short- and long-term climate-resilient investments and provides easier access to various funding sources.
Data collection for SECAP was carried out according to several professional expectations in a sectoral breakdown, according to the reporting guidelines published by the Association of Mayors.
Establishment of the KER Debrecen Nonprofit Ltd.
Earlier this year, the General Assembly of the Municipality of Debrecen adopted the country’s most complex settlement environmental protection program, the Green Codex. The most important measure of the Green Code among the 50 environmental protection projects is the establishment of the Environmental Monitoring System (abbreviated in Hungarian as KER), which serves the preservation of our natural values, the well-being and safety of the people of Debrecen in a unique way both domestically and internationally.
The system is nearing completion and will soon be ready to go live. It is therefore proposed that a non-profit company be set up to operate the KER, which will be responsible for the operational management of the system and its continued availability to ensure transparent and secure operation.
By the decision of the General Assembly, the Debrecen City Management Limited Liability Company, which the Municipality exclusively owns, is establishing the KER Debrecen Environmental Control System Development and Operation Nonprofit Limited Liability Company, abbreviated as KER Debrecen Nonprofit Kft., in a 50-50% partnership with the University of Debrecen.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
