Bulgarian Energy Efficiency and Renewable Sources Fund together with “En Effect Consult” had two trainings regarding the International Energy Efficiency Financing Protocol (IEEFP) in May and June 2011 at Radisson SAS Grand Hotel Sofia. Its main goal was to proclaim the guidelines for Local Financing Institutions to evaluate and finance energy efficiency and savings-based renewable projects.

Experts in financing, energy efficiency and risk management in energy efficiency projects and application of tools, developed under the PERMANENT project, presented their lectures during two half-day seminars. The trainings were attended by 53 representatives of banks, consultation companies and the Agency for sustainable energy development in Bulgaria.

According to Permanent training program for 2011 two events regarding the IEEFP took place on the 17th of May and on the 1rst of July 2011.

The training program on the 17th of May 2011 l“, Sofia included the following topics:

• Introductory presentation of PERMANENT project, Mr.Peter Kamburov, Project Coordinator for Bulgaria
• Presentation of ЕVО (Efficiency Valuation Organization), Mr. Thomas Dressen, ЕVО Canada
• Presentation of the International Energy Efficiency Financing Protocol, Mr. Marko Markov, Head of Corporate Banking Dept., Tokuda Bank AD, Bulgaria
• Implementation of the IEEFP – International Experience, Mr. Thomas К. Dressen, ЕVО Canada
• Bulgarian Energy Efficiency Fund partner in energy efficiency projects financing, Mr. Dimitar Dukov – Executive Director of BEERSF.

Invitations were sent to executive directors of all 30 banks in Bulgaria. 41 representatives stated participation, 33 representatives actually participated in the seminar.

Main topics of the second seminar that took place on the 01rst of July 2011, were as follows:

• Brief presentation of PERMANENT project, Mr. Petar Kamburov, Project Coordinator for Bulgaria
• Brief presentation of ЕVО, Mr. Thomas К. Dressen, ЕVО
• International Energy Efficiency Financing Protocol – application potential in Bulgaria, Mr. Marko Markov, Head of Corporate Banking Dept., Tokuda Bank AD
• IEEFP – Best practices in international experience, Mr. Thomas К. Dressen, ЕVО
• Bulgarian Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Fund – new opportunities for co-financing with commercial banks, Mr. Dimitar Dukov Executive Director of BEEREF

The PERMANENT project – aimed at increasing the knowledge about monitoring and verification of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, addresses the most common barrier to deployment of energy performance contracts by end users: disbelief that planned project results will be achieved and pay back the investment in a sustainable manner. The PERMANENT project team consists of 7 organizations, the participants from Bulgaria – Eneffect and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Sources Fund.