Detailed analysis of electricity consumption in tertiary buildings as a basis for energy efficiency policies

Edelgard Gruber, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (Fraunhofer ISI), Germany
Ilias Sofronis, Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES), Greece
Rinto Dusée, Weerdenburg Huisvesting Consultants (WHC), The Netherlands
Stefan Plesser, Institute for Building and Solar Technology (IGS), Technical University Braunschweig, Germany

Keywords

electricity consumption, tertiary sector, energy efficiency, energy monitoring, harmonised methodology, policy conclusions, market transformation, multi-country study, buildings

Abstract

Electricity consumption in the tertiary sector is still increasing – by 3 % per year between 1995 and 2005 in the EU-25 countries – and a further increase is expected of more than 2 % per year over the next 15 years. The tertiary sector includes companies and institutions of public and private services with very heterogeneous economic and energy-related characteristics. A study of the current state of data in the tertiary sector in European countries revealed that the availability of disaggregated data on electricity consumption and its use by purpose (lighting, office equipment, ventilation, air conditioning, etc.) is poor. Building managers and decision-makers are not well enough informed about the electricity consumption structure and electricity-saving potentials.

EL-TERTIARY develops a harmonised methodology for monitoring electricity consumption and applies it in more than 100 cases in 12 EU countries. Implications for dissemination and energy efficiency policies will be derived. It is regarded as important to have an exchange of experiences on these issues within the scientific community and with actors and decision-makers in order to develop efficient instruments for practical use. EL-TERTIARY is an EU Intelligent Energy project under Key Action 4 “Energy efficient equipment and products”.