In the Ready4NetZero project, two Polish municipalities Cieszyn and Piastow demonstrated how local governments can combine modern technologies with citizen involvement to consistently reduce energy consumption, cut emissions and build resilience to future climate challenges.
Cieszyn: ‘Intelligent heat control in a historic space’
In Cieszyn, a city with a rich history and historic architecture, the challenge was to include the thermal modernisation and energy management of buildings on the conservation list. Instead of invasive renovation work, the municipality opted for the installation of an intelligent remote heat monitoring and control system that tracks room temperatures in real time, controls the operation of heating systems and alerts on irregularities. Thanks to this technology, it was possible to noticeably reduce fuel consumption after the first heating season while maintaining the thermal comfort of users, and the data collected on an ongoing basis became the foundation for further optimisations and the preparation of recommendations for the following years.
Piastów: ‘RES and energy storage in local facilities’
Piastów, a small municipality on the outskirts of Warsaw, used the support of the Polish Deal Programme and the know-how of experts from the Energy Forum to comprehensively rebuild the local sports and leisure infrastructure. The Municipal Sports and Leisure Centre building underwent thermal modernisation and a boiler replacement with a heat pump, while the roofs of the stadium and adjacent market square were equipped with photovoltaic installations with a total capacity of almost 100 kW. An additional value was added by surplus energy storage batteries, which allow the facilities to be powered stably even with fluctuating production. These investments have resulted in a significant reduction in operating costs, and have also provided the impetus for local workshops and information meetings, where residents could learn how they themselves can apply energy-saving solutions in their homes.
Conclusions: Greener, cleaner, smarter
Both examples show that, irrespective of size or resources, Polish municipalities are able to use Ready4NetZero tools to make sustainable changes - from smart management of existing installations, to building renewable energy sources, to activating the local community. In this way, Cieszyn and Piastów are becoming role models on how to move step by step towards climate neutrality and create healthier, more economical urban spaces.
Ready4NetZero is a EUKI funded project coordinated by the Polish Network “ENERGIE CITÉS”, with a consortium formed of the Ecologic Institute from Germany, ENERGIAKLUB from Hungary, REGEA from Croatia, and Energy Cities Romania. Ready4NetZero aims to support cities from the participating countries in developing and implementing 2050 climate neutrality strategies and seeks to do this by building capacity, knowledge, and skills among local leaders, municipal staff, and local stakeholders, facilitating experiences exchange and dialogue between local authorities.