The smart district project SmartEnCity has already attracted 22 apartment associations to become part of the pilot area and renovate their buildings, which were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, as zero-energy buildings.
“On the afternoon of 30 March we stopped accepting applications from apartment associations, since the project doesn’t allow us to divide the renovation subsidy up between a large number of apartment buildings,” explained project manager Raimond Tamm. “If, for some reason, an apartment association that submitted an application fails to launch renovations, other associations in the pilot area that haven’t yet submitted applications will then have the opportunity to apply for the subsidy.”
”The fact that apartment associations are so interested in the matter shows that these sorts of projects have a good breeding ground here in Tartu,” said the city’s mayor Urmas Klaas. “The SmartEnCity project allows us to make many important changes in the city environment, helping Tartu take a major step towards the implementation of environmentally friendly and information technology solutions in our daily lives.”
The 22 apartment associations that have joined the project have reached the building design stage. They have all entered into contracts with the technical consultant and renovation designer.
The greatest progress so far has been made by the Kalevi 10 apartment association, which has already obtained a construction notice for the pre-project stage of renovations. It has also submitted a connection application to Elektrilevi OÜ with regard to the solar panels to be installed on the roof. Current activities focus on design and the selection of artwork for the building’s façade.
The City of Tartu is participating in the international SmartEnCity project in order to transform the Khrushchev-era building area in the city centre into a smart, energy-efficient district. The budget for the renovation of the Soviet apartment blocks as zero-energy buildings is approximately 4 million euros.
All of the buildings that are renovated will also be equipped with a smart home management solution that will help monitor and regulate energy consumption.
The project will also entail innovative solutions in district heating, street lighting and renewable energy use. Additionally, electric vehicle charging points and electric bicycle and vehicle rental stations will be established in the area.
In March, Tartu City Government launched a public tender for the reconstruction of street lighting in the pilot area and its immediate vicinity. The existing sodium lamps will be replaced with smart, energy-efficient LED lamps. According to the plans, the new lamps will be installed this summer.
The project is being funded from the Horisont 2020 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The project began in February 2016 and will continue until July 2021.
For more information, visit the project’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tarktartu/.
For additional information please contact:
Raimond Tamm
Project Manager, SmartEnCity
Telephone: 515 4738