The focus of the UNDP International Experts Exchange was to study the experience of the UNDP-GEF Project, "Building energy efficiency in the North-West of Russia," in the adaptation and implementation of the system for energy monitoring and energy consumption (EMIS).

During the study visit, which was held on September 11-15, the delegations from Serbia and India visited several pilot cities: Moscow, Pskov, Ostrov, Porkhov, and St. Petersburg. Among the participants were the representatives of relevant ministries and departments, energy managers of municipalities, and experts of the UNDP.

On September 11, at the UNDP office, the Russian guests were welcomed by the Project National Director, I. Kozhukhovsky. In his speech, Mr Kozhykhovsky noted the importance of an integrated approach in building energy management systems, where the EMIS is an effective tool for evaluation and analysis of energy consumption in public buildings. Project Manager Vitaly Bekker talked more about practical steps in the implementation of urban energy resource management in the Pskov and Vologda regions.

In the introductory part of the round table, delegation heads reported on the implementation progress of UNDP-GEF Projects on energy efficiency. Dragan Urosevic. Head of the UNDP-GEF Project, "Removing barriers to support and promote energy management in the municipalities of Serbia," which started in 2015, presented his report. The Deputy Minister of Energy of India, Mr. Raj Pal, welcomed the audience on behalf of the Indian delegation. Director of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Mr. Saurab Diddy, spoke about the role of energy efficiency of buildings in India and about the actions according to the act on energy savings signed in 2001. The expert of housing and communal services Department of the RF Ministry of Construction, Alexander Fadeev, spoke about the policies of the Russian Federation on energy savings. Project consultant S. Kishchenko presented the newly developed Project methodology for the preparation of applications to financial institutions for financing energy-efficiency projects in the public sector.

The official meeting was held on the same day in Moscow with the Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy of Serbia, Miloš Banjac, adviser on energy efficiency, Alexander Pulevich, and the UNDP Manager on energy, Maya Matejic, and colleagues from the FSBI "Russian Energy Agency" Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation. During the meeting, the issues were discussed on bilateral cooperation in the development of the EMIS and the international exchange of experience in implementing energy management at a national level.

The main part of the study visit was held in the Pskov region, the first region in Russia where the system for municipal management of energy resources was implemented at a regional level. Colleagues from Serbia and India met with Russia's first regional energy Manager, Anna Krasnova, who is responsible for recording data on budget buildings of the region in the EMIS. It should be noted that the obligation to enter data into the program was enshrined in law in Serbia a few years ago. Executive Director of JSC "Pskov Communal Systems," V. Petrov, shared the experience of cooperating with the UNDP-GEF Project on connecting objects in renting data about energy consumption on a "server to server" scheme, which collects and processes vast amounts of information.

The group was also shown the most replicable and affordable energy efficient technologies that have been applied in the construction of a new apartment building in the town of Porkhov (program of resettlement of emergency and dilapidated housing), as well as conducting energy-efficient modernization of the building of the "Raduga" kindergarten in the town of Ostrov. Members of the delegation also visited the technical premises of the kindergarten to see the installed equipment, which transfers data about the object's energy consumption into the EMIS online.

The final stage of the trip was a visit to St. Petersburg and acquaintance with the results of the Project's educational component implementation, creation and introduction of a system of continuous education for energy savings, starting with elementary school and ending with the so-called "Institute of the third age." Foreign guests were welcomed by the Deputy Director on scientific work of the Higher School of Technology and Energy SPBSUTD, V. Kurov. Director of the Institute of Innovative Management Solutions, doctor of Economics, Professor Tatiana Tereshkina, presented her report, describing the first graduation of energy managers trained within the Master's program.

Colleagues from Arkhangelsk conducted an online tour of the laboratory for energy monitoring and energy management, equipped with the support of the Project in the NArFU in 2016. Pavel Mar'yandyshev, Director of the Higher School of Energy and Gas, noted that the laboratory is not only in the classroom, but also the energy management centre at the University, which receives and analyzes the information about the power consumption of the University's campuses.

According to the results of a week-long study tour in Russia, the delegations' participants noted the practical experience of Russian specialists presented in different regions of the Project's implementation and outlined ways of further cooperation between UNDP-GEF Projects in Russia, Serbia, and India on energy efficiency and energy management.