Thoughts on changing behaviour the energy efficiency challenge Rod - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

european council for an energy efficient economy

Thoughts on changing behaviour– the energy efficiency challenge

Rod Janssen eceee May 18, 2011

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• EE policy depends on changing behaviour of

consumers

• This has always been the case and always will be
• There are times when behaviour change is really

needed more than ever for saving energy

– during an energy crisis, for example – but those changes do not always lead to energy efficiency improvements and they are often not long lasting – or even meant to be – The International Energy Agency considers this “demand restraint” when savings are done for a short term emergency

A comment on improving energy efficiency

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Energy Efficiency is messy business

• Energy policy has the “luxury” of dealing with relatively

big energy companies, some of them extremely big.

• That can have its difficulties but there are relatively few

actors

• For energy efficiency, the context is totally different: we

are talking about influencing every consumer in Europe to take action.

• For each consumer, one time it concerns the house, the

next time the car, the next time the business.

• It is very complex

Consider energy efficiency policy today

• I am not going to review the latest Energy

Efficiency Plan from March or any of the recent directives but there are two areas that depend on consumer behaviour that have been given attention: – energy performance certificates for buildings, which are in the EPBD – smart meters which were discussed in the EEP

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Energy Performance Certificates

• Energy Performance Certificates are required as part
• f the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive from

2002 and recast in 2010. EPCs are key to creating awareness of the state of

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Public acceptance

Use of certificates at sale/rent Perception of usefulness by the public Main "discussion points" AT

** * Transparency of the certificate, not showing total energy performance, recommendations not always presented (clearly).

BE (Flanders)

**** *** Non-residential stil under development.

CZ

* * Perception of general public as new expression of bureaucracy. Information on EPC not very useful. Only EPC for new buildings and major renovations. Main group of existing buildings not effected.

DK

*** ** For new buildings EPCs are issued more than for transaction moments for existing buildings.

FR

** ** Use of EPCs high in social renting market, but low in private rental market. EPC still

• ften only regarded as an 'informative instrument'.

DE

** * The quality of the cheaper version based on measured rating. Registration and practical enforcement.

HU

* * The costs of the certificate and mandatory character are a discussion point for the general public. EPCs not mandatory yet for existing buildings.

IE

**** **** Recommendations for energy saving measures not in actual EPC but in advisory report.

NL

** ** Actual use of EPCs high for social housing, but low for private market. A public discussion on the transparency, reliability and reproducibility of the certificates lead to adaptations in the scheme.

PL

** * The EPC provides little useful information for the building owner for improvements. In practice EPCs are only issued at transactions when demanded by both parties.

PT

**** ** Use of EPCs is lower in the rental market than in the sale market.

ES

* * EPCs are only in practice for new buildings, public awareness is low. Improvement desirable Room for improvement Good Very good

From recent analysis from Buildings Performance Institute Europe

• The public acceptance and usability of the EPCs by the

general public and the professional market is an important issue. These are related to the quality and the cost of the assessment

• Some countries are explicitly searching for ways to

enhance public acceptance and usability of the EPCs (for instance through promotional campaigns and a specific certificate design or even by means of a public round of consultation as Ireland started in the first phases of EPBD implementation). Other countries pay little attention to this

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From recent analysis in the Netherlands

• It is also relevant to note that EPCs can have an

impact on the real estate value. A recent study undertaken by the University of Maastricht shows that the existence of an energy performance certificate can impact the value with about 2.5%. [Professor D. Brouwen]

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From recent analysis in Denmark

• With exception of A-labelled houses in the first two

years after house purchase, all the estimated savings are insignificant, and therefore our empirical results cannot support the hypothesis of significant average energy savings due to the Danish Energy Labelling Scheme several years after a house is

• bought. Whether the insignificant differences in

energy consumption between labelled and non labelled houses means that energy saving renovations are carried out independent of the energy label, or energy saving renovations are not carried out at all is not possible to conclude.

• [Source: eceee 2009 Summer Study Paper by V. Kjaerbye –

paper number 3068]

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Key Thoughts on EPCs concerning Behaviour

• The recast of the buildings directive has tightened up

the use of EPCs to make them more effective

• Feedback from the EPC is particularly important at

point of sale or rental.

• There really is no feedback for long-term home owner
• Increasingly, EPCs are used by real estate agents.

This is particularly true in France where it became mandatory in January 2011

• EPCs have been useful as Display Certificates in

public buildings

• much more research is needed on actual effect.

Potential is considered high but results to date are mixed

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Smart Meters

• A smart meter is usually an electrical meter that

records consumption of electrical energy in intervals

• f an hour or less and communicates that information

at least daily back to the utility for monitoring and billing

• purposes. Smart meters enable two-way

communication between the meter and the central

• system. Unlike home energy monitors, smart meters

can gather data for remote reporting.

• the need of careful consideration of effective feedback

techniques as an essential precondition for actually achieving a more sustainable society through smart metering.

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Smart Meters

• Smart Meters do not necessarily bring environmental

benefits.

• If regulatory requirements for a “successful” Smart

Meter rollout include environmental benefits, such as increased systems efficiency and lowered consumption, then Smart Meters can and will be used to create these benefits. If regulators and policy makers do not make this part of their definition of “success” and do not support it with constructive policy measures, Smart Meters will not bring substantial environmental benefits.

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Smart Meters

• Smart meter infrastructure creates a platform on which

a variety of highly effective energy efficiency programmes can be built – but they only form one part

• f this infrastructure, the rest is made up of regulatory

structures, financial market structures, enabling communication technology, marketing and active consumer participation. Key is supportive policy and regulation.

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From UK consultation

• The Government's vision is for every home in Great

Britain to have smart energy meters, giving people far better information about, and control over, their energy consumption than today. Businesses and public sector users should also have smart or advanced energy metering suited to their needs.

• The rollout of smart meters will play an important role

in Britain‟s transition to a low-carbon economy, and help us meet some of the long-term challenges we face in ensuring an affordable, secure and sustainable energy supply. Consumers' interests lie at the heart

• f the programme.

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From UK consultation - 2

• The Government will develop a consumer engagement
• strategy. As part of this, there is a strong case for

some elements of consumer engagement to be carried

• ut centrally or on a coordinated basis. In addition to

the role of suppliers in promoting engagement, such an approach could be particularly important in enabling all consumers to access the potential benefits of smart

• metering. Further work will be carried out in the next

phase to develop this strategy.

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Key Thoughts on Smart Meters concerning Behaviour

• There is perception that feedback on how energy is

consumed will lead to behaviour change but this is not necessarily true in and of itself

• Key winner initially is the energy company, particularly

when governments are helping to subsidise their implementation

• smart meters, however, do offer a platform for future

interaction with consumers. Even companies such as Google are getting involved

• There is a big political priority to make this work

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Final comments on changing behaviour – 30 years of trying

• In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was much

multi-disciplinary work into understanding consumer behaviour related to energy efficiency. Much of that was led by researchers in the Netherlands. It ended in the mid-1980s with a US study on “The Human Dimension” that was appreciated at the time but policy got sidetracked.

• Then behaviour study stopped for many years. It has

now come back to being of fundamental importance

• consumers are not uni-dimensional economic animals

but policy has not always appreciated the complexity. Our homes have special meaning. We love nice things, good music, comfortable living

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The Challenge for all of us

• We are now in Europe trying to meet a

2020 energy savings target of a 20% reduction

• We are not on track yet the target is very
• important. In fact, we are only on track to

achieve about half

• How do we now bring the consumer

even more into the equation?

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Thank You

For more information on energy efficiency policies and programmes in Europe, go to www.eceee.org

• 18/05/2011 •

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