|
Title:
|
|
Integrated evaluation of energy conservation options and instruments: a country comparison
|
|
|
|
Author(s):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Published by:
|
Publication date:
|
|
ECN
Policy Studies
|
1-3-1999
|
|
|
|
ECN report number:
|
Document type:
|
|
ECN-C--99-036
|
ECN publication
|
|
|
|
Number of pages:
|
Full text:
|
|
100
|
Download PDF
|
Abstract:
The main objective of the study was to provide insight in the drivingforces for energy conservation and their relation with conservation policy
instruments and to investigate the present and future situation regarding
energy conservation in different countries in terms of differences and common
challenges. The results give rise to the following recommendations regarding
national and European Union (EU) policies. Research and Development policies
should particularly pay attention to the energy services and branches with a
relatively small technical energy conservation potential available at the
moment, in particular those for which the share in total consumption is large
or is projected to grow. In households, energy services such as drying,
miscellaneous electric household appliances (audio-video, hobby, personal
care, sleeping etc.) and washing should have priority in order to reduce
households energy consumption in the long run. For the manufacturing sector,
the technical saving potential in the subsectors Chemicals, Metal products
and Building materials should be enlarged. Feedstocks comprise a substantial
share of the industrial energy consumption. Research is required on complex
integrated process improvements, substitution of materials, possibilities for
recycling and utilisation of residuals and waste in industrial processes.
Energy conservation policy should close the gap between realised energy
savings and technically available potential, prioritising those energy
services and manufacturing branches which require a large share of the energy
consumption, now or in the future. In households, for hot water, cooking and
cooling a large gap between technical potential and realisation is
calculated. Furthermore, heating is important since it covers a large share.
This 'efficiency gap' is smaller in the manufacturing sector where the
investors are more rational. Therefore R and D policies on the development of
new technologies are more important for this sector. The case studies
indicate that for households the availability of profitable saving
technologies is not an important barrier for energy conservation. Much more
important barriers are the competitive disadvantages of new entrants,
bifurcation effects due to low replacement rates, strong competition and
decreasing effectiveness of new technologies after substantial savings.
Therefore, the savings induced by general financial and behavioural
instruments are limited, as relative competitive advantages are not
addressed. Hence, most impact can be expected from combinations of
instruments addressing different barriers simultaneously, policies focusing
on specific technologies and from regulation which may overrule existing
barriers. 17 refs.
Back to List