ENERTER: a tool to simulate housing energy consumption

Panel: Panel 3. Monitoring & evaluation: understanding change and how to deliver energy efficiency

Authors:
Nicolas Houdant, Energies Demain, France
Johan Schram, Energies Demain, France

Abstract

The residential sector is widely considered to have the greatest potential for energy savings. Indeed, it accounts for more than 40% of French energy consumption [1] . The DGUHC [2] commissioned a nationwide study on housing energy consumption with the aim of assessing potential energy savings.

ENERTER is a model developed by Energies Demain to attain the objectives of this study. The model is structured on official database that describe each French residential building. Model enrichment has been carried out to include a structural description of the buildings (architectural type, insulation, wall thickness, etc.). Using those structural parameters, ENERTER can simulate housing energy consumption from town to national scale.

Although the tool can assess energy consumption of housing, for policy makers the real benefit of ENERTER lies in its ability to calculate the energy consumption for each category of the housing stock. As a result, it can show who and where the high consumers are, and can help to define energy efficiency policies based on that information. Indeed, refining knowledge in the residential sector is strategic to define relevant policy frameworks.

As the parameters used to calculate energy consumption are structural, ENERTER can accurately evaluate impacts of rehabilitation programmes in terms of energy savings. That process can also be achieved using energy savings as a starting point. ENERTER calculates how many buildings need to be rehabilitated and how (in terms of evolution of structural parameters) to reach the goal. Thus, ENERTER is a very useful complementary resource to implement efficient energy-saving programmes.

[1] Source : DGEMP (Direction Générale de l'Energie et des Matières Premières) - Observatoire de l'Energie - Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Economiques sur l'Energie (CEREN).

[2] The DGUHC (Direction générale de l'urbanisme de l'habitat et de la construction) is the ministerial delegation in charge of housing and urban planning. It ensures a balanced development of the territory and provides assistance to local authorities in the implementation of their housing policy.