A geopolitical crossroad of the development axis of north Greece
Ioannina is the capital and largest city of Epirus, a north-western region of Greece and the 10th larger municipality in Greece, with an increasing population of currently 112,486 people. Strategically, Ioannina forms a geopolitical crossroad of the development axis of north Greece. Lake Pamvotis is what mainly characterizes Ioannina and gives its own stigma in the city. The city’s history starts as a city developed in the walls of a castle, right next to the lake. The city’s modern development is marked by its advancement in arts, literature, trade and tourism and is supported by the development of the regional infrastructure including Ioannina National Airport (King Pyrrhus). Infrastructure investments (Egnatia road, Ionia road, Igoumenitsa port, etc.) over the last decade have better connected the region both nationally and internationally.
Municipality of Ioannina has completed its SECAP with a goal of reducing CO2 emissions by at least 20% till 2020 (short-term target) and by at least 40% till 2030 (long-term target).
Replication
Ioannina through POCITYF aims to create a masterplan for pilot positive energy building blocks that incorporate the advances in building renewable energy systems, smart storage installations, smart energy management and sharing between buildings, novel business and funding models as well as introduction of e-mobility. In this first phase the feasibility of the technologies will be assessed using public buildings, and this pilot will act as a demonstrator for students, citizens, businesses and as a local lighthouse for local and national replication in the second phase.
The replication plan for the Municipality of Ioannina will focus on the transformation of the city into a modern smart and sustainable ecosystem with respect to the culturally specific characteristics and the heritage of the city. To this end, the following directions will be taken into account:
- Buildings retrofitting according to energy efficient techniques and relevant materials, including RES and smart energy management systems.
- Interventions in city districts, towards PEDs including energy efficient solutions, smart electric mobility with EV charging stations and sustainability (e.g. sustainable waste management).
- Digital transformation in multiple aspects of citizens’ involvement, ranging from energy communities and energy management (e.g p2p energy trading) and including social innovation and citizen engagement.
The municipality of Ioannina has proceeded to a careful selection of POCITYF solutions for replication that are aligned both to the specific environmental conditions of the city area, the cultural restrictions posed by the relevant city agencies (with respect to monuments and antiquities etc) and the local legal and regulatory restrictions.
POCITYF has raised important discussions and cooperation among the involved cities that helped in information sharing and knowledge transfer, regarding integrated solutions and replication planning activities, helping Fellow Cities to sketch their planning according to city capacities and the local conditions.
The replication plan aims to be a holistic approach that is carried out in accordance with the city‘s Strategic Plans for energy, mobility and urban development, in both operational level and technical design. Under this perspective, the selection of the integrated solutions proposed by POCITYF was made possible by taking into account the local conditions and the relevant feasibility studies, involving local stakeholders and working groups where this was possible.
Find Ioannina’s Replication Plan here.