The European Union’s “Energy Efficiency First Principle” was designed to maximise the potential of energy sources and increase investor appetite but it has struggled to jump from principle to practice. But new rules and a shift in geopolitics look set to propel the efficiency maxim to top billing
Focus on supply-side policies has sidelined energy efficiency discussions
LOST POTENTIAL The lack of effective policies in recent years means the European Union is playing catch up on energy efficiency measures and the impact it can have on the shift to a decarbonised economy
REVISED DIRECTIVE The EU's energy efficiency directive (EED) is in the process of being strengthened to ensure efficiency first is more easily adopted
KEY QUOTE We don’t give this principle enough importance. It’s something that’s often mentioned in speeches but when you look at whether we can reach our targets for energy efficiency today, we are not on track ...
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Full support for energy efficiency from EU politicians will give companies the confidence to invest in projects that will benefit the economy, the environment and society at large, says Monica Frassoni, President of the European Alliance to Save Energy
Clear policies and a long-term vision will help energy efficiency play its full role in the energy transition, argues Dominique Ristori, Director-General for Energy at the European Commission
Criticism of his decision to rip out a fully functioning gas boiler in favour of a heat pump led Jan Rosenow, director of European programmes at the Regulatory Assistance Project, to do some serious number crunching
The introduction of a carbon price in the building sector will only encourage fuel switching and burden those least able to pay with the cost of decarbonisation. If implemented, it should be complemented with legislation to boost energy efficiency, says Monica Frassoni of the European Alliance to Save Energy
This decade is the most important one for energy efficiency in the energy transition. FORESIGHT spoke to Brian Motherway, head of energy efficiency at the International Energy Agency (IEA), to discuss why this is and how it can be better implemented
With the intention of advancing energy efficiency as an energy resource, Pay-for-Performance programmes can positively affect the entire energy chain from the distributor to the final consumer. Most of them are found in the US but Europe is testing the waters