Determination of Cost-Effective Energy Efficiency Measures in Buildings with the Aid of Multiple Indices

Evidence collected by researchers over several decades suggests that the successful implementation of the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS) may deliver significant, cost-effective energy savings over many years. However, before starting EEOS in Latvia, predictions by energy efficiency policy researchers envisaged that it is at high risk of savings shortfalls. This study aims to carry out an ex-post policy evaluation of EEOS in Latvia and assess its ability to deliver significant savings in the first phase of the new EEOS. This paper questions whether the new EEOS can reach savings goals without prior experience with voluntary agreement schemes and emulation of successful EEOS from other countries. The second goal of the research is to create a web-based optimization tool as an Interactive Learning Environment to help policymakers and EEOS-obliged parties to create goal-oriented strategies. The study has found that, contrary to expectations, Latvia has reached and even overfulfilled EEOS saving goals. Estimated cumulative savings obtained during the starting phase (329.2 GWh) are 68% higher than the cumulative savings planned by the policymakers for 2020 (234 GWh). This success is related to the enforcement of a stick-type approach in the policy. However, the study also revealed the dark side of EEOS implementation by discussing different types of energy efficiency measures applied by EEOS and the role of implementing and monitoring institutions. The ex-ante evaluation projected that 50% of the EEOS savings would be derived from information and education measures and 50% through contributions to the Energy Efficiency Fund or by implementing the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures. The ex-post evaluation shows that around 95% of savings are achieved through information measures and the rest by introducing energy efficiency measures on the consumer side. EEOS parties do not contribute to the Fund because the cost of information measures (on average 4 EUR/MWh) is significantly lower than the contribution to the Fund (70 EUR/MWh).

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Effective Energy Efficiency Measures for Existing Residential Homes in the Florida Market

International Journal of Construction Education and Research ◽

10.1080/15578771.2012.677966 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 61-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Joseph M. Burgett ◽

Abdol R. Chini

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Effective Energy ◽

Residential Homes ◽

Energy Efficiency Measures ◽

Efficiency Measures

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Cost-effective analysis for selecting energy efficiency measures for refurbishment of residential buildings in Catalonia

Energy and Buildings ◽

10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.06.059 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 128 ◽

pp. 442-457 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Joana Ortiz ◽

Antoni Fonseca i Casas ◽

Jaume Salom ◽

Nuria Garrido Soriano ◽

Pau Fonseca i Casas

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Energy Efficiency Measures ◽

Efficiency Measures ◽

Effective Analysis

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Barriers to and Drivers for Improved Energy Efficiency in the Swedish Aluminium Industry and Aluminium Casting Foundries

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11072043 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 2043 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Joakim Haraldsson ◽

Maria T. Johansson

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Information Sources ◽

Emission Trading ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Production Equipment ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Energy Efficiency Measures ◽

Aluminium Industry ◽

Efficiency Measures

Industrial energy efficiency is important for reducing CO2 emissions and could be a competitive advantage for companies because it can reduce costs. However, cost-effective energy efficiency measures are not always implemented because there are barriers inhibiting their implementation. Drivers for energy efficiency could provide means for overcoming these barriers. The aim of this article was to study the importance of different barriers to and drivers for improved energy efficiency in the Swedish aluminium industry and foundries that cast aluminium. Additionally, the perceived usefulness of different information sources on energy efficiency measures was studied. The data were collected through a questionnaire covering 39 barriers and 48 drivers, divided into different categories. Both the aluminium and foundry industries considered technological and economic barriers as the most important categories. The most important category of drivers for the aluminium industry was organisational drivers, while the foundries rated economic drivers as the most important. Colleagues within the company, the company group and sector, and the trade organisation were considered the most useful information sources. Important factors for driving work with improved energy efficiency included access to knowledge within the company, having a culture within the company promoting energy efficiency, and networking within the sector. The policy implications identified included energy labelling of production equipment, the law on energy audit in large companies and subsidy for energy audits in small- and medium-sized companies, voluntary agreements that included long-term energy strategies, increased taxes to improve the cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency measures, and EUs Emission Trading System.

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Impact of Passive Energy Efficiency Measures on Cooling Energy Demand in an Architectural Campus Building in Karachi, Pakistan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137251 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7251

Author(s):

Mushk Bughio ◽

Muhammad Shoaib Khan ◽

Waqas Ahmed Mahar ◽

Thorsten Schuetze

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Electricity Consumption ◽

Information Modeling ◽

Base Case ◽

Energy Efficiency Measures ◽

Efficiency Measures ◽

The Impact ◽

Cooling Energy Demand ◽

Campus Building

Electric appliances for cooling and lighting are responsible for most of the increase in electricity consumption in Karachi, Pakistan. This study aims to investigate the impact of passive energy efficiency measures (PEEMs) on the potential reduction of indoor temperature and cooling energy demand of an architectural campus building (ACB) in Karachi, Pakistan. PEEMs focus on the building envelope’s design and construction, which is a key factor of influence on a building’s cooling energy demand. The existing architectural campus building was modeled using the building information modeling (BIM) software Autodesk Revit. Data related to the electricity consumption for cooling, building masses, occupancy conditions, utility bills, energy use intensity, as well as space types, were collected and analyzed to develop a virtual ACB model. The utility bill data were used to calibrate the DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus base case models of the existing ACB. The cooling energy demand was compared with different alternative building envelope compositions applied as PEEMs in the renovation of the existing exemplary ACB. Finally, cooling energy demand reduction potentials and the related potential electricity demand savings were determined. The quantification of the cooling energy demand facilitates the definition of the building’s electricity consumption benchmarks for cooling with specific technologies.

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Energy Efficiency Solutions for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2020065019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 19

Author(s):

Joanna Southernwood ◽

Grigoris K. Papagiannis ◽

Erudino Llano Güemes ◽

Luisa Sileni

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Energy Saving ◽

Energy Management ◽

Policy Recommendations ◽

Effective Energy ◽

Energy Audit ◽

Horizon 2020 ◽

Efficiency Measures ◽

Energy Audits ◽

Innovative Capacity

Few small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have undertaken an energy audit to date and even fewer have taken action to implement energy-saving measures. Lack of time, knowledge, and finance, coupled with the low priority that SMEs give to energy management, are the most commonly cited barriers to effective energy management in SMEs. Four projects funded by Horizon 2020 (SPEEDIER, SMEmPower Efficiency, E2DRIVER, and Innoveas) have developed innovative capacity-building programmes designed to eliminate these barriers and encourage SMEs to undertake energy audits and implement the recommended energy efficiency measures. This paper presents an overview of the innovations being tested and suggests a series of policy recommendations that could help to drive uptake of energy audits in SMEs.

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