Abstract

In the target groups of small and medium sized enterprises and municipalities, internal activities are not sufficient to enforce a large scale implementation of energy saving activities. Although a wide range of cost-effective efficiency potentials exists, in most cases external impulses are needed to trigger profitable measures. The findings of recent socio-economic research emphasize the input of external actors as "door-openers", "process managers" and "coaches" for an adoption of efficiency technologies and social innovations, and point at their crucial role for energy service market transformation. With regard to the observed important role of external relations, a high impact can be expected from policy support of network and communication infrastructures in both target groups. As a guideline for strategic energy policy making direct interventions and framework regulation aiming at removing obstacles to the rational use of energy should, thus, be combined with indirect measures of network formation and social marketing. It should be the objective to generate a fostering environment to stimulate and enable external actors to provide adequate energy related support to SME or municipalities, and to improve the external milieu for energy efficiency activities.

Paper

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Panels of

Panel 1: Policy (incentives, normative measures, policy mixes to achive CO_2 reduction)

Panel 2: Technologies and Products (innovation, marketing, market transformation)

Panel 4: Environmental Perspective (externalities and life cycle approaches, local and global impacts and incentatives)

Panel 3: Dynamics of Consumption (social and cultural perspectives, actors and their interactions)

Panel 5: Land use,Transportation and infrastructure (urban and regional planning, approaches to change in well entrenched systems)