co2online – Projects (last updated: March 2012)

co2online gemeinnützige GmbH is a non-profit limited liability company campaigning to reduce emissions of the climate-threatening gas carbon dioxide (CO₂). Our central approach is: climate protection by means of energy saving through dialogue. With online advisers, energy savings accounts, municipal heating surveys, and a hydraulic balancing campaign as well as portal partners from business, media and politics, co2online motivates private households, trade and commerce to become actively involved in climate protection – and to save money at the same time. co2online informs and motivates mainly on technical modernisation measures for heating and thermal insulation in existing buildings and on early replacement of inefficient appliances. Our three largest projects are co-funded by the German Federal Environment Ministry.

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Kyoto-Protocol: Trigger for the Campaign
co2online’s campaigns help to fulfil obligations taken on by Europe and Germany in 1997: In Kyoto, Japan, 150 countries agreed to the "Kyoto Protocol". For industrialised states the Protocol requires to reduce their emissions of CO₂, methane and other greenhouse gases by 5.2 % below 1990 levels until 2012. The European Union must reduce emissions by 8 % and the USA by 7 %. The "Kyoto Protocol" came into force on February 16th 2005.

Climate Protection Campaign
Our "Climate Seeks Protection" campaign motivates consumers to check on and invest in energy efficiency of their homes and appliances. Its main components are online advisers, prize competitions and media campaigns (see below). It is co-funded by the German Federal Environment Ministry since 2004.

Online Advisers
Over 20 Online Advisers offer quick and competent advice on various aspects of room heating, energy saving modernisation measures and subsidies, as well as on various aspects of electricity saving. Thus far, more than 900 partners have integrated the Online Advisers into their own web sites – including German Savings and Loan Association, the online property marketplace Immobilienscout24, DZ-Bank and E.ON. The Online Advisers are consulted by 6-15,000 people each week, depending on the season. Over 4,200,000 online advice sessions have been completed since 2004 and more than 2.5 mill. tons of CO₂ have been avoided because of actions taken after using 4 evaluated (out of 20+) Online Advisers. More

The Energy Savings Club
Detect the effect: The Energy Savings Club is the first campaign that provides continuous support for consumers and their energy saving efforts at www.energiesparclub.de. The objective is to win over 100.000 users who reduce their energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in the long term. The Energy Savings Club is co-funded within Germany’s Climate Initiative by the Federal Ministry for the Environment.

Energy Savings Account
The interactive Energy Savings Account (iESA) gathers and displays consumption data on heating fuel, electricity, and water, entered either manually or automatically. It also shows future costs (depending on users’ price expectations) and connects to the Online Advisers to help lower these costs. Over 46,000 users opened an account since August 2006. They get feedback in monthly email-newsletters and aggregate data is analysed statistically by co2online. It is co-funded by the German Federal Environment Ministry.

ECCC European Citizens Climate Cup
10,000 participants from 10 EU member states compete within and between countries. They aim to show that the EU CO₂-reduction targets of 20 % by 2020 can be achieved and even surpassed. The ECCC targets at least 2% annual electricity savings and 4 % annual energy savings for space heating by May 2012. More

Municipal Heating Surveys and Written Heating Assessments
For 45 larger German cities – adding to Hamburg, Dortmund, Dresden and Munich, 81 in total since 2004 - co2online compiled Municipal Heating Surveys (Heizspiegel). Heizspiegel raises awareness of reasonable heating costs and heat consumption in centrally heated residential buildings. These surveys are presented in printed tables, grouping the energy consumption of buildings in the municipality. Smaller municipalities, city hall, tenants associations and consumer initiatives can order a Nationwide Heating Survey at no charge. Inhabitants wishing more details can request a 12-page written Heating Assessment (Heizgutachten). Heating Assessments are a neutral and reliable basis to prompt and improve the dialogue between tenants and house owners / landlords about the thermal quality of their houses and energetic modernisation.Together with local authorities and other partners, co2online introduces these Municipal Heating Surveys to the public at regional media events. The project is co-funded by the German Federal Environment Ministry.

Online Climate Quiz "Mission Blue Planet"
The Climate Quiz "Mission Blue Planet" presents information and answers to over 1,000 questions, for three age groups between 7 and 17, on climate, energy saving, and weather. The users explore the links between energy generation, energy consumption, weather and climate and the consequences of climate change. More than 50,000 CD-ROMs have been distributed. The slightly different online version allows to challenge others by email to compete on knowledge and speed and even to ask for a rematch.

Awards
2011: Finalist for the “Sustainable Energy Europe Award” with “Energiesparclub (based on iESA / interactive Energy Savings Account)” in the category “CONSUMING”.
2009: The "champion energy saver" competition has been recognised as an "Official German Project for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development"
2008: The "Clean Tech Media Award" was awarded to co2online in the category "sustaina­bility" for the website content, the online advisers and the extensive networking.
2008: The tour of the "Grönland" sailing vessel has been named one of 365 "Landmarks in the Land of Ideas 2008", an initiative by the German government and commerce and industry. 
2007: Dr. Johannes Hengstenberg, co2online’s founder, was selected an Ashoka Fellow as “social entrepreneur” (someone who reaches societal goals with business tools). 
2007: co2online won the Sustainable Energy Europe Award in the category "Awareness Raiser". The Award for the "Climate Seeks Protection" campaign and its online tools, adaptable all over Europe, was presented for an outstanding contribution to reaching Europe’s energy targets.
2006: The Giga-Maus 2006 Award for the best online offer for "secondary school level" was given to co2online’s climate quiz "Mission Blue Planet"; The Giga-Maus is a widely respected endorsement for quality software for children and families.

Evaluation
Impact analyses of 4 Online Advisers (Heating, Building Modernisation; Cooling Appliances, Pumps) and of the Heating Surveys plus Written Heating Assessments showed over 4.9 million tons of CO₂ to be avoided over the expected lifetime of the investments triggered by them. These tools cost about 1 Euro per ton of CO₂ avoided. The calculations were validated by Wuppertal Institute. In addition, co2online publishes a quarterly "climate barometer". From online surveys it determines the public sentiment on and interest in energy prices, security of energy supply and climate protection.