Effective policy instruments for energy efficiency in residential space heating An international empirical analysis (EPISODE)

A broad variety of instruments like standards, taxes, subsidies and informational campaigns is used in Europe to influence the energy consumption for residential space heating. Within the project EPISODE the existing instruments in countries in the northern and moderate climatic zones have been analysed with a focus on The Netherlands, France, Denmark, Sweden and Germany have been analysed. In these countries space heating accounts for about 70% of the residential energy consumption. The effectiveness of the applied instruments has been analysed by an international empirical analysis based on survey data. Additionally, the results of the empirical analysis have been compared with the results of a building simulation model in order to confirm or negate the empirical results. The analysed instruments lead to a decrease order to confirm or negate the empirical results. The analysed instruments lead to a decrease in energy consumption per square meter dwelling area. Especially standards have shown a strong influence on the energy reduction in the past. The analysis has also shown that the influence of taxes is very small in the short-term. A comparison of the energy consumption for space heating between the participating countries has also shown that there is still a considerable potential for energy savings. Future policies in the field should combine a bundle of instruments to achieve substantial emission reductions at low costs. Emission taxes as economically efficient instrument play thereby an important role, but also flexible standards are important for new dwellings. Subsidies and informational measures are particularly important to activate energy efficiency potentials in the existing building stock. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: RO 9712(71) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEEuropean Commission (CEC), Brussels (Belgium); Danish Energy Agency, Copenhagen (Denmark)DEGerman