scholarly journals Industrial Energy Efficiency Towards Green Deal Transition. Case of Latvia.

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-57
Author(s):  
Kristaps Locmelis ◽  
Andra Blumberga ◽  
Uldis Bariss ◽  
Dagnija Blumberga ◽  
Lauma Balode
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Energy Unit ◽  
Energy Efficiency Policy ◽  
Industrial Energy ◽  
Energy Efficiency Targets ◽  
Industrial Energy Efficiency

Abstract Energy efficiency policy has been one of the European Union top priorities for decades and will continue to play a vital role in the next 10 years with the introduction of The Clean energy for all Europeans. Likewise, in Latvia energy efficiency has been given high priority; however, the energy efficiency targets for industry has lacked ambitions. This research focuses on evaluating the Latvian industrial energy efficiency policy using top-down approach and benchmarking energy intensity of Latvian industry to the average of the European Union’s. Results confirm that on average Latvian industry consumes 2.6 times more energy to produce the same amount of value added compared to the average in the European Union; however, every saved energy unit in Latvia would save twice less CO2 emissions considering already largely decarbonized energy mix. In the spotlights of the Green Deal proposed by the European Commission, much higher contribution in terms of CO2 reduction and energy efficiency will be expected from the industry. Nevertheless, energy efficiency targets for Latvian industry should be sector-specific, separately addressing CO2 intensive sectors, and non-intensive CO2 sectors with low added value.

(Un)fit for 55! Ohne eine verschärfte Governance-Verordnung sind die Klimaziele 2030 nicht zu erreichen

IG ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-300
Author(s):  
Michèle Knodt ◽  
Rainer Müller ◽  
Sabine Schlacke ◽  
Marc Ringel
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Regulatory Action ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Soft Governance ◽  
Energy Efficiency Targets ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
The Eu

The European Commission's “Fit for 55” package of July 2021 provides for a significant increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency targets in the European Union (EU). However, the EU’s competences in the energy sector are severely limited and subject to sovereignty. Already in 2018, the EU adopted a Governance Regulation that provides for a hardening of the otherwise only soft governance in the areas of renewable energies and energy efficiency due to the lack of European competences. It is intended to ensure that the Commission's recommendations for improving national energy and climate plans are implemented by the member states. An analysis of the quality of implementation of these recommendations now shows that this has a positive effect in areas with harder soft governance but still needs improvement. Increasing the targets of regulatory action cannot be successful without revising the Governance Regulation and hardening soft governance along with it. Otherwise, the EU is not fit for its 55 percent target in 2030.

scholarly journals Designing Policies and Programmes for Improved Energy Efficiency in Industrial SMEs

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Johansson ◽  
Nawzad Mardan ◽  
Erwin Cornelis ◽  
Osamu Kimura ◽  
Patrik Thollander
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Audit ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Energy Efficiency Policy ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
Industrial Energy ◽  
Industrial Energy Efficiency ◽  
Research And Policy

Climate change, due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, is driving policymakers to make decisions to promote more efficient energy use. Improved industrial energy efficiency is said to play a key role in the transition to more carbon-neutral energy systems. In most countries, industrial small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent 95% or more of the total number of companies. Thus, SMEs, apart from using energy, are a major driver in the economy with regard to innovation, GDP growth, employment, investments, exports, etc. Despite this, research and policy activities related to SMEs have been scarce, calling for contributions in the field. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to critically assess how adequate energy efficiency policy programmes for industrial SMEs could be designed. Results show that scientific publications in the field differ in scope and origin, but a major emphasis of the scientific papers has been on barriers to and drivers for energy efficiency. Scientific contributions from studies of energy policy programmes primarily cover energy audit programmes and show that the major energy efficiency measures from industrial SMEs are found in support processes. The review further reveals an imbalance in geographic scope of the papers within the field, where a vast majority of the papers emanate from Europe, calling for scientific publications from other parts of the world. The study synthesizes the findings into a general method on how to design efficiency programs for the sector.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency, the Overlooked Climate Emergency Solution

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-67
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Energy Poverty

Policies, especially in the European Union, encourage government and privately funded programs to engage in “energy efficiency first” strategies. Those policies lead to the moderation of energy demand and are long-term solutions that not only protect households from price fluctuations and energy poverty, but also allow people to reduce their environmental footprint and save money in the long term. Energy poverty usually occurs when a household is unable to secure a level and quality of domestic energy services—space cooling and heating, cooking, appliances, information technology etc.—sufficient for its social and material needs. In the Global North, energy poverty is generally attributed to internal and external factors such as low incomes, energy-inefficient homes and high energy prices, while in the Global South, the infrastructural lack of access to more technologically advanced energy carriers is the main culprit. Energy poverty in developing countries is gaining interest thanks to the seventh Sustainable Development Goal: Affordable and clean energy. Still, so far, in the European Union and in the rest of the world, little has been done to sew together the two concepts and include the most vulnerable part of the population in an approach that reconciles environmental and climate risks with social issues. In practice, energy poverty and efficiency agendas are rarely coordinated. Energy efficiency and a better pooling of the resources (known also as “sufficiency”) could lead to higher resiliency to the social and climate crisis.

scholarly journals Benchmarking of Industrial Energy Efficiency. Outcomes of an Energy Audit Policy Program

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristaps Locmelis ◽  
Dagnija Blumberga ◽  
Andra Blumberga ◽  
Anna Kubule
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Energy Audit ◽  
Energy Management Systems ◽  
Energy Efficiency Policy ◽  
Industrial Energy ◽  
Energy Audits ◽  
Industrial Energy Efficiency

Latvia’s industrial energy efficiency policy imposes the implementation of mandatory energy audits and energy management systems in large industrial enterprises and large industrial electricity consumers to improve industrial competitiveness, to move towards a carbon-neutral economy and to increase the security of supply. Companies affected by this energy efficiency policy are obliged to report to the national energy efficiency monitoring system on energy efficiency measures indicated in energy audits or energy management systems with the highest savings or economical potential. The purpose of this study was to assess the initial outcomes of the first industrial energy efficiency program in Latvia, using data from the national energy efficiency monitoring system, including an analysis of individual energy audit reports, and benchmarking it with findings from a similar program, thereby revealing untapped energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction potential. Although the national monitoring system made it possible to ascertain results of the energy efficiency program, the statistical analysis of the data did not allow for a robust conclusion on the technical or economic industrial energy efficiency potential. This study suggests that Latvia’s energy efficient policy should continue its course in implementation and provides recommendations for improvements on the national energy efficiency monitoring system.

Energy Efficiency Policies in Some of the European Countries

2016 ◽  
pp. 100-131
Author(s):  
Savaş Çevik ◽  
M. Mustafa Erdoğdu ◽  
Fatma Turna
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
European Countries ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Energy Efficiency Policy ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Energy Efficiency Policies ◽  
The Impact

This chapter deals with the instruments and policies to achieve energy efficiency in some of the European Union (EU) member states. The main aim of the study is to search for any efficient combination of policy instruments in the EU. The analysis is based on a unique database, derived out of the MURE project, related to energy efficiency policy measures in 28 EU countries and Norway. The study first describes and evaluates the main purposes and instruments of energy efficiency policies. Then, it classifies the measures applied to promote energy efficiency in sample countries by sectors and examines the impact level of different policy packages on energy efficiency.

Empowering Small Electricity Consumers to Help European Member States to Reach the Energy Efficiency Targets of the European Union

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Ovidio J. González de Uña ◽  
Alejandro Carballar Rincón
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Policy Instrument ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Smart Meters ◽  
Load Curve ◽  
Member States ◽  
Energy Efficiency Targets

In Europe, small electricity consumers are not using the full potential offered by smart meters. Although the European Union requires Member States to provide consumers with their energy usage data, small consumers are not using this data for improving their energy efficiency. This paper proposes: first, the standardization of the electrical load curve offered to small energy consumers at European level. Second, the use of open innovation challenges as a policy instrument in the European Union to improve the energy efficiency of the small electricity consumers and to encourage the development of new market niches. Finally, the paper quantifies how ICT energy efficiency solutions for small electricity consumers can contribute to the achievement of the 2020 European Union energy efficiency targets.

scholarly journals Macroeconomic Effects of EU Energy Efficiency Regulations on Household Dishwashers, Washing Machines and Washer Dryers

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 4312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocchi ◽  
Rueda-Cantuche ◽  
Boyano ◽  
Villanueva
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Value Added ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Washing Machines ◽  
Macroeconomic Impact ◽  
Stock Model ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Selection Of

Testing the relationship between economic performance and energy consumption is of utmost importance in nearly all countries. Taking the European Union as scope, this paper analyses the impacts of energy efficiency legislation on a selection of household appliances. In particular, it analyses the employment and value added impacts of the stricter energy efficiency requirements for dishwashers, washing machines, and washer dryers. To do so, this paper combines a bottom-up stock model with a macro-econometric dynamic general equilibrium model (FIDELIO) to quantify the direct and indirect value added and employment impacts in the European Union. The analysis shows that stricter energy efficiency requirements on household dishwashers, washing machines, and washer dryers have a net negative macroeconomic impact on value added (roughly 0.01 % of the total European Union value added) and a slightly net positive impact on employment. In fact, the regulations cause a shift in the composition of the household consumption basket that seems to favor labor-intensive industries.

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