The Lebanese Association for Energy Saving & for Environment

        ALMEE has dedicated its activities for more than 15 years to Energy Saving and Environment issues in order to achieving a Sustainable and Harmonious Development in Lebanon and in the Mediterranean region. ALMEE is particularly interested to the global environment issues (Kyoto and Montreal protocols). ALMEE worked on developing proposed mechanisms for green house gases emissions in several projects.

        In this context, ALMEE is and was involved in many activities, programs, studies and projects with:

-  DG XVII (EC) synergy program framework: energy and environment in the city.

-  UNIDO TSS1 project relative to monitoring of atmospheric pollution in Lebanon.

-  UNDP & UNEP projects umbrella of GEF and the application of Montreal protocol in Lebanon related to the CFC issue.

-  ADEME (France) with whom ALMEE has signed an agreement of co-operation in the energy and environment fields: DSM project in Zouk / Byblos (Jbeil), educational project « Liban precieux - planete precieuse », energy efficiency in transport, etc........

-  METAP program of the World Bank related to the environmental issues in Lebanon: air, water and waste.

-  European bureau of environment (EBE-Brussels), WWF (Barcelona), cedar (Cairo), ENDA (Tunisia), WEAA (Washington DC), CME (London) and energy-city (besancon).

-  MIO-ECSDE (Athens) www.mio-ecsde.org

-  UNESCO (Paris) in the framework of the world solar summit program (WSSP) for developing the domestic hot water solar system in Lebanon.

-  Agence Internationale de l’Energie (AIE- Paris) for preparing the energy balances in Lebanon.

-  APUR (Paris) for establishing the environment Atlas of Beirut.

-  UITF member (union des ingenieurs et des techniciens utilisant la langue Francaise).

-  MEDENER founder member (Mediterranean association of the national agencies for energy conservation).  Web address: www.cres.gr/medener

-  Climate change enabling activity project in Lebanon: member of the national coordinating committee and team. Prepared the mitigation energy part of the project.

-  PRISME member (programme international de soutien a la maitrise de l'énergie).

-  l'impact de la pollution de la “centrale électrique de Zouk » with ADAEME France.

-  Energy Auditing with the Municipalities in collaboration with IEPF                          

-  Member of the co-coordinating committee for the “climate change enabling activity project” in Lebanon.

-  Member of the mitigation technical team for the “climate change enabling activity project” in Lebanon.

-  Member of the "Lebanese Environmental Development observatory LEDO" in order to set up indicators for Lebanon on energy and climate change.

-  Prepared and edited so far 20 bulletins as well as many brochures on the ozone depleting issues, energy saving, renewable energy, energy auditing, state of the energy in Lebanon and others. ALMEE issues also 2 newsletters per year.

-   EU (INCO) project: REACT: Self-Sufficient Renewable Energy Air-Conditioning Systems for MPC. Web address: www.crear.unifi.it/react

-   EU (INCO) project: RAMSES Renewable Energy Agricultural Multipurpose System for Farmers. The project aims at bypassing all the problems related to the progressively increasing prices of fuels derived from fossil resources. This increase in prices is especially damaging for agriculture. Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for agricultural vehicles, machines, processors, etc. Farmers everywhere in the world have been badly hit by the increase in fuel prices, especially since agricultural fuels are often not taxed, or only lightly taxed, so that the burden of every increase in prices in the world market hits directly farm’s finances. This project is aimed to giving rural communities on the Southern bank of the Mediterranean area a new tool to assist them in their agricultural work: an integrated solar power system which includes battery storage, usable as to power an all purpose vehicle.

-    EU (INCO) project: HYPA Euro-Mediterranean renewable energy partnership. Web address: www.hy-pa.org

- EU (INCO) project: SOLATERM Promotion of a New Generation of Solar
     Thermal Systems in the MPC. Web address: http://ioffice.gtz.de/solaterm

-   EU (INCO) project: SOLAR BUILD Integration of Solar Technologies into       Buildings in Mediterranean Communities. SOLAR-BUILD will contribute significantly to uptake of solar technologies to meet cooling, electricity & heat needs in buildings in Mediterranean communities, via new links & information exchange between relevant professional fields & via transfer & adaptation of experience from EU to Mediterranean countries. Partners are leading networks of sustainable energy professionals & architects within the region. Partners will engage with extensive market actors & stakeholders including: architects, building engineers, solar technology manufacturers / retailers etc, local authorities / municipalities, central government departments.

-  EU (SMAP program) MED-ENEC: Promoting Energy Efficiency in the Construction Sector project is addressed to the MEDA countries Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. Web address: www.med-enec.com

-  French GEF framework project PEEC: Energy Efficiency in building in Lebanon.
This bilateral project goes under the French GEF framework and was financed (1 million euro) by the FFEM (fonds Francais pour l’Environment Mondial). The objective of the project was to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of energy improvements in apartment buildings. Through the results of this demonstration, through awareness rising among Lebanese leaders and through capacity building, the project launched a policy for energy efficiency in housing.

-   EU (SYNERGY program) project with the MEDENER network CDM-ANVIMAR: Analysis of Viability of the Clean Development Mechanism in the Mediterranean Area. Web address: www.cdm.anvimar.info

-   EU (MEDA program) regional project with the MEDENER network ASTEMB: Application of Therma Solar Energy in the Mediterranean Basin. Web address: www.solarmed.net

-   EU (synergy program) regional project with IDAE (Spain) How to Develop Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) in the Mediterranean Countries.

-   EU (synergy program) regional project with IDAE (Spain) Energy and Urban Environment in the Mediterranean Countries.

-   EU (INCO program) project: SUSTENMED: Dissemination of Sustainable Energy Technologies in the Mediterranean Basin.

    - EU (DG17 program) project Energy Policy Dialogue:  bilateral project between the
          European commission and the Lebanese government. ALMEE was subcontracted
          by Hagler Bailly consulting for specific studies.

-   Prepared and implemented the “Liban precieux - planete precieuse” project by lecturing on the rational use of energy and renewable energies (ADEME/ALMEE project) (1997).

-   Prepared a developed study on the pollution of Waste Water in the Industrial region of Zouk Mosbeh (15 km north of Beirut).

-   Participated in the preparation of a study related to the « pollution of water in al-Awali  
 river ». 

-   Participated in the preparation of a study related to the Potentials of Hydroelectricity in the Litany River ».

-    Worked on a MEDA regional project with the consortium DECON (Germany), BCEOM (France), CEETA (Portugal) and ENERCO (Italy) Reform of the Legal and Institutional Energy Sector in Lebanon.

-   Participated on a national environmental impact assessment project study on the Pollution Sources of the Industrial Zone of Zouk Mosbeh city: Air, Water and Solid Waste”.

-   Principal coordinator in the ministry of environment and member of the national committee working on the country program on the ozone depleting substances for phasing out cfcs.                

-   Prepared and implemented a bilateral cooperation project with AFD-France concerning the reconversion of the commercial refrigerators manufacturers in Lebanon to non cfcs users.

-   Prepared and implemented a bilateral cooperation project with AFD-France concerning the installation of a network for recovery and recycling of cfcs, including training of technicians to the techniques of recovery and recycling of cfcs.

-   Prepared and implemented a bilateral cooperation project with GTZ-Germany titled: training in improved operations, service and maintenance for refrigeration decision makers and technicians working with hydrocarbons as a substitute to CFCs.

-   Represented Lebanon to the regional training course on aerosol conversion to non CFCs substitute held in Amman, Jordan in 1993

-   Represented Lebanon to the round table discussion on knowledge sharing for ODS phase-out held in Washington DC, USA in 1994.

-   Represented Lebanon to the first regional focal points meeting for the ODS officers network/west Asia held in Bahrain in 1997.

-   Since 1993, attended many seminars and meetings with international agencies such as UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO and “Caisse Francaise pour le developpement” in order to prepare the country programme and many project proposals for phasing out CFCs in Lebanon.

-   Prepared and implemented a bilateral project with GTZ-Germany on Customs Officers Training project for Lebanon on Ozone Depleting Substances” (October 2000).