Good Practice Guide - Energy Efficiency Excellence from EnercitEE regions

EnercitEE is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the INTERREG IVC Programme. Neither the Managing Authority nor the Saxon State Ministry for the Environment and Agriculture are liable for any information published in this brochure which presents the good practices identified by the EnercitEE partner regions.

Summary

View the Website [EN - English]

Energy efficiency excellence from EnercitEE regions

The Energy 2020 Strategy for Competitive Sustainable and Secure Energy from the European Commission stresses that energy effi ciency is the most cost effective way to reduce emissions and improve competitiveness, as well as energy security, and to make energy more affordable for consumers. While we are on track for the 20 % target for renewables by 2020, we are far from reaching the 20 % energy efficiency target in Europe by 2020.

The European Commission’s draft for a new Energy Efficiency Directive proposes a series of new measures that mainly concern the building and energy sector. However, this draft Directive is currently discussed controversially between the EU member states.

EnercitEE strives to identify the energy efficiency potential of electricity, from heat and cooling generation and distribution to consumption and storage. In this energy chain, there is huge potential that can be tapped.

The share of combined heat and power generation, for example, still needs to increase. Nowadays, technology to transform heat into cooling (trigeneration) is available and needs further market penetration, especially in those European regions where a growing number of houses install air conditioning, which results in a higher electricity demand.

Energy losses from district heating grids can be prevented when pipes are properly insulated and heat is distributed effi ciently to a large number of consumers within short distances. At the end of the chain, consumers can save energy and use it more effi ciently. As an example, many household heating systems keep temperatures constant even at times when nobody is at home – which leads to energy consumption and costs that could be avoided. Even renewables can perform more effi ciently if used under appropriate climatic conditions, such as in Smaland, where energy is generated from biomass that is readily available in regional forests.

EnercitEE has developed this Good Practice Guide to demonstrate the energy effi ciency potential in the specifi c areas of competence of the EnercitEE partner regions. It highlights prominent areas of energy efficiency potential, such as buildings, heat/power generation and distribution, transport, innovation and technology, and communication and motivation. In many cases, the areas interlink with each other. This highlights the need for an integrated planning approach in energy effi ciency; such an approach would make a signifi cant contribution to a sustainable European energy strategy.

The Good Practice Guide is one of the results of the interregional exchange of experience of the EnercitEE partner regions and will, together with the activities within the sub-projects, help to improve regional and local energy efficiency policies. We are positive that the good practices presented in this guide will spur animated discussion and exchange, within the partner consortium and beyond. We hope that some of the ideas will be transferred between regions and that many new good practices will evolve out of this exchange.

The EnercitEE partner consortium

Related Information on the Regions 202020 Website:

• Sustainable Energy Theme(s): : Education and Training : Energy Efficiency in Industry : Energy Efficient Products : Sustainable / Energy Efficient Buildings : Sustainable transport and mobility management
• Region(s)/Community(ies): : : : : : SE: Blekinge : :
• Country(ies): Germany : France : Greece : Italy : Poland : Sweden

Last updated: 20/07/2012 7:17pm - Contact: