On December 4, 2024, a conference was held at the Rother’s Mills Science and Cultural Center in Bydgoszcz, where the project DUET: Driving Urban Energy Together was summarized. As partners of the project, the City of Bydgoszcz and the Association of Municipalities Polish Network “Energie Cités” collaborated on the prospects for the development of energy management systems in Bydgoszcz — the possibilities for more effective monitoring and management of energy in the city were analysed, and the data collection system, that has been in operation since 2020, was improved.
The conference at the Rother’s Mills was opened by Deputy Mayor of the City of Bydgoszcz Łukasz Krupa, who welcomed the gathered participants, including about 30 local government officials from the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship, as well as representatives of energy companies and NGOs. Andrzej Porawski, Executive Director of the Association of Polish Cities, also spoke and opened the conference.
Participants had the opportunity to learn about the results of the DUET project through a presentation by Tomasz Bońdos, Director of the Energy Management Team at the Bydgoszcz City Hall. He provided details on the measures taken by Bydgoszcz in the project. As a specialist, familiar with the inner workings of the city and actively participating in the project from the beginning, he shared with the audience the solutions developed for energy management in Bydgoszcz. The participants' knowledge was also expanded by Kinga Tyburska, Chief Specialist in the Energy Management Team at the Bydgoszcz City Hall, who talked more extensively about the needs addressed by the DUET project, its implementation and the results obtained. Then, Izabela Kuśnierz from the Association of Municipalities of the Polish Network “Energie Cités” introduced the participants to the possibilities and rules for obtaining funds under the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK).
In addition, the operation of the energy management system was presented in a short film, which presented the idea of the energy management system functioning in Bydgoszcz and developed thanks to the project. This interesting form of summary made it possible for the participants to get acquainted with the details of the developed solution in an accessible way.
The December conference in Bydgoszcz was not only a forum for the exchange of knowledge, but also an excellent opportunity for all participants of the event to get acquainted and establish contacts.
The project DUET: Driving Urban Energy Together began in February 2023 and will officially end in March 2025. The project included two study visits — to Dresden and Hamburg, during which representatives of Polish local governments were able to gain practical insights into energy management methods used abroad, implementations of renewable energy sources, energy-efficient infrastructure, and gain inspiration on sustainable practices in the city.
Project events also took place in Poland. In September 2023, Bydgoszcz hosted representatives of local governments from the Białystok Functional Area, the Bydgoszcz Metropolitan Area and the Bydgoszcz-Toruń Functional Area to learn about the local energy management system. In May 2024, the DUET project was presented at the Bydgoszcz Energy Forum, and a month later a forum on practical energy management was part of a seminar in Jadwisin.
The use of energy management systems is very important in the context of striving for climate neutrality. Monitoring energy data allows implementation of the EU principle of energy efficiency first and foremost, as well as matching investments in renewable energy sources to local needs. The use of energy management systems can yield energy savings and cost reductions. What's more, it has the potential to improve air quality, can positively affect the stability of the power grid and be a central component of a smart city. Therefore, sharing the knowledge and solutions developed by the DUET project is extremely important and has the potential to contribute to the successful energy transformation of Polish cities. The DUET project is now entering the phase of propagation and replication of results and dissemination of prepared materials. On the project website, you can already get acquainted with the guidebook Energy Management in the City - Good Practices. A second publication will soon be made available, containing specific tools and tips for replicating in other municipalities the energy management solutions implemented and tested in Bydgoszcz.
This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
