Implementation aspects of the EU Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services in Germany

Barbara Schlomann, Wolfgang Eichhammer, and Edelgard Gruber, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (Fraunhofer ISI), Germany

Keywords

energy efficiency improvement, ESD, energy savings target, energy policies, public sector, national action plan

Abstract

The EU Directive 2006/32/EC on energy end-use efficiency and energy services (ESD) became effective on 17 May 2006. Now the Member States have to develop strategies and policies for the national implementation of the Directive, which sets a national indicative energy savings target of 9 % for the ninth year of the Directive’s application. This target is to be met using measures to improve energy efficiency. The Member States have to present their first energy efficiency action plan (EEAP) under the ESD by 30 June 2007, which must contain the national overall target for energy saving. According to the first provisional calculations of the national energy savings target under the ESD, the energy savings which have to be achieved in Germany in the ninth year of the Directive (2016) amount to 758 PJ of final energy. The target cannot only be achieved by new measures applied in the active period of the Directive (2008-2016), but measures taken since 1995 which still have an effect in 2016 (“early actions”) may also be considered. According to a first rough estimate, early action can contribute substantially to achieving the ESD target value for Germany. Taking into account recent energy efficiency programmes of the Federal government, the main focus of new measures under the ESD will probably be on the building sector (existing and new buildings) and on electrical appliances. The transport sector could become a second area for energy efficiency measures under the ESD. For measuring the energy savings realised under the ESD in Germany, a national model has been developed which includes both bottom-up and top-down monitoring elements. Other important implementation aspects are also discussed such as the statistical data demands resulting from the ESD, the special requirements for the public sector, institutional embedding and cost aspects of transposing the ESD in Germany.