• The O.O. Energiesparverband recently launched a new campaign to decrease electricity consumption in office buildings.
• The campaign includes a competition for the best "electricity efficiency projects in offices", new online tools, a range of publications and a media campaign.
• New brochure "Electricity efficiency in the offices - step-by-step" (32 pages in German)

OEC-Link: www.stromsparenjetzt.at

• How Upper Austria became the World's Leading Solar Thermal Market
  24 pages, contents including solar market development, solar thermal applications and innovation, examples from Upper Austria
• Biomass heating in Upper Austria
  Green energy, green jobs
  40 pages, contents including biomass market development, biomass heating technologies, fuels and supply chains, project examples 

OEC-Link: www.oec.at/en/publications

• More than 215 entries for the Upper Austrian photo competition
• Winner's photo: Solar City apartment building with 418 m² solar collector surface area
• More information (in German) and winning photos can be found on the website: www.esv.or.at

In Upper Austria, the housing sector is traditionally supported by public programmes. In 2009, a special impulse was put on home renovation: 7,000 one-family homes were renovated, nearly doubling the numbers of the years before.

The average energy performance indicator for heating was decreased from 242 to 61 kWh/m²a. The renovation measures led to annual energy savings of about 300 GWh and CO₂-savings of about 100,000 tons/a.

In Upper Austria, recently a programme for exchanging inefficient heat circulation pumps was successfully carried out. The programme provided a financial support for the exchange of old heat circulation pumps (100 Euro per pump), supported by promotional activities (training courses, support to installers, online tool for homeowners etc.). During 3 months, more than 6,400 pumps were exchanged. In average, the installed capacity of the circulation pumps was reduced from 86 to 34 Watt per home. The public expenditure of 64,000 Euro resulted in total annual energy savings of about 1.33 million kWh.

A sustainable energy economy requires a highly skilled work force. With its "Energy Academy", the O.Ö. Energiesparverband offers a wide range of training programmes for different target groups, ranging from producers of sustainable energy technologies to those in charge of planning and installing them to those responsible for their use and maintenance.

In 2009, there were 5,326 participants in 28 training courses and 12 information events.