EasyPro at Energy Days 2026 in Berlin
On 29th-30th June 2026, the EasyPro Project was represented at ‘Energy Trends 2026’, the 4th European Congress on Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development in Berlin, Germany. The event gathered researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs and practitioners from across the world to share advanced, ecofriendly energy solutions for competitive advantage and cost savings in the progressive industrial and business sectors.
On Day One of the event, EasyPro coordinator, Dr Luciano De Tomassi from IERC – International Energy Research, delivered a keynote presentation on EasyPro entitled ‘Energy Performance Contracting in The Higher Education Sector in Ireland: Challenges and Opportunities’. This presentation outlined EasyPro, explaining its role as an EPC facilitator and what it provides to Irish universities interested in installing energy efficiency upgrades to campus buildings.
Regarding the challenges, EPC adoption in universities is constrained by complex governance structures, limited internal expertise and resources to procure EPC, and complex coordination across Estates, Finance, Procurement and Legal offices. Additional barriers include an immature ESCO market, limited financial familiarity with EPC models, and cultural resistance to outsourcing performance risk.
Regarding opportunities, EasyPro helps Irish universities to overcome these challenges and procure an EPC with its tailored EPC Facilitation Service. EasyPro acts as a ‘one-stop-shop’ that integrates technical expertise with financial, procurement and contractual expertise, improving decision-making, standardising processes, and reducing reliance on multiple disconnected consultants.
Luciano’s presentation employed a multi-dimensional framework to analyse these challenges and opportunities, including organisational, contractual, cultural and institutional, public sector and policy, financial, economic and market, and operational. Because the event featured presentations and panel discussions by participants from universities and research institutions in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US, the cultural and institutional challenges and opportunities of EPC procurement was a topic of particular interest. In this regard, Luciano noted the different levels of EPC awareness and experience across universities; diverse campus sizes and building portfolios and priorities that make it difficult to standardize EPC approaches across universities; and concerns about outsourcing energy performance. He noted that as a response, EasyPro tailors EPC solutions to institutional needs, promotes best-practice and peer learning, supports stakeholder engagement and change management, and builds trust in EPC delivery models.
On Day Two, Luciano showcased EasyPro in a poster presentation, designed by EasyPro project partner Carr Communications. In this presentation, Luciano outlined the process of EasyPro’s EPC Facilitation Service step-by-step for Irish universities, whereby the project supports universities throughout their EPC journey. This includes facilitation with building the suitability assessment, selecting the ESCO via public procurement, signing the contract with the ESCO, implementing the agreed energy conservation measures, and monitoring and assessing the energy savings, with the ESCO covering any shortfall if the guaranteed savings are not met.
Overall, the event provided a valuable opportunity to present EasyPro to an international audience, and gain valuable insights into the broader energy needs, challenges and priorities of communities worldwide.
