Energy Efficiency最新文献

Energy efficiency is a central element of the European Union’s approach to achieving its climate and energy objectives, underscoring the need for analytical tools that can support the assessment of future energy efficiency policies and trends. This paper applies the ODEX methodology within a combined ex-post and ex-ante framework to examine projected developments in energy efficiency across sectors. By extending ODEX, traditionally used for retrospective monitoring, to forward-looking national scenarios, the study provides a consistent basis for comparing historical progress with anticipated future improvements. The approach is illustrated using two EU Member States, demonstrating its broader applicability for assessing national strategies and identifying where additional measures may be necessary to meet future final energy consumption targets. The findings reflect patterns reported in recent literature, showing substantial differences in expected efficiency gains across sectors and highlighting areas where progress may need to accelerate to remain in line with EU ambitions. The results also indicate how a top-down, consumption-weighted index such as ODEX can complement existing evaluation practices by offering a transparent way to interpret efficiency trends and by supporting preliminary assessments of energy efficiency policy impacts. While the approach does not replace detailed modelling or bottom-up evaluation methods, it provides a reproducible and data-efficient tool that can assist with cross-country benchmarking, policy evaluation, and ongoing monitoring under the Energy Efficiency Directive. By linking observed trends (ex-post) with forward-looking (ex-ante) scenarios, the framework may contribute to strengthening national and EU-level discussions on future energy efficiency pathways.

Ex-post evaluations of energy efficiency policy measures have traditionally focused on direct impacts such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and energy savings. However, rising interest in the broader economic, social, and environmental ramifications of these policies is reshaping evaluation priorities. Notably, alleviation of energy poverty has emerged as a critical co-benefit to be measured, driven by rising energy prices and, in turn driven partially by measures such as the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS). This has resulted in new reporting obligations at both national and European levels. Building on the impact evaluation methodology for energy efficiency policy measures established by Schlomann et al. (2020) that focuses on the direct environmental impacts, the present work presents a transparent, replicable, and robust approach to assess broader policy co-benefits. We focus on fiscal policy instruments and illustrate this with two key co-benefits: employment effects and social benefits. To demonstrate this, we analyse two German programmes, the Environmental Bonus for Electric Vehicles (Umweltbonus) and the Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings (BEG), as case studies. These illustrate how to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the effect of policy measures in terms of their co-benefits, specifically additional employment, skill intensity, alleviation of energy poverty (2M), and distributional effects, offering a nuanced understanding of these growing concerns. This paper therefore provides a comprehensive evaluation framework that integrates traditional metrics of direct impacts with assessments of social, economic, and environmental impacts. This holistic approach supports policymakers in understanding the wider implications of energy policies and enables informed, evidence-based decision-making.

The topic of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry has been widely discussed. Passive heating and cooling systems are a viable solution to mitigate these impacts. However, implementing these systems during the building design process faces several obstacles. This research focuses on the barriers to adopting passive systems in residential building design, with a case study of Iran. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to investigate these barriers, which included a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The literature review and semi-structured interviews identified different statements that explained the reasons behind the limited adoption of passive systems in residential building design in Iran. Thirty-nine experts in building energy efficiency evaluated 86 statements using a 5-point Likert scale. Through exploratory factor analysis, 17 sub-categories were identified and grouped into financial, social, training, and legal barriers. Confirmatory factor analysis through structural equation models was utilized to examine the interrelationships among the various obstacles to achieve an optimal outcome. To overcome these barriers, modernizing legal policies, emphasizing energy sufficiency and renewable energy sources, in conjunction with energy-efficient systems is recommended. Additionally, architectural education should provide students with the required knowledge and skills for building passive and active system design. Furthermore, energy efficiency systems should be guaranteed by either the government or the private sector, which could enhance aesthetic appeal and symbolic capital.

The building stock in Europe accounts for almost half of primary energy use, highlighting the need for improved building performance. In the Mediterranean region, where cooling accounts for a significant share of energy consumption, passive strategies play a crucial role in reducing demand while maintaining comfort. Among these, the stack effect has been widely studied for multi-story systems, yet its potential application in staircases of two-story single-family houses, a common design typology in southern Europe, remains underexplored. This study investigates the potential of staircase design to enhance natural ventilation and reduce cooling demand, and evaluates which staircase and window-opening configurations are most effective. A whole-building energy modeling framework for a typical two-story single-family house in the Mediterranean region is developed, incorporating building geometry, construction materials and occupancy patterns, and accounting for coupled heat and mass transfer and interzonal airflows. Various staircase and window-opening scenarios are simulated to assess the stack effect impact on annual heating demand, cooling demand and operational costs for end-users. The results reveal that adding a staircase window in typical houses leads to an increase in energy savings from natural ventilation, ranging between 6–10% compared to relying solely on ground-floor windows. The influence of different building configurations, ventilation strategies, and orientations are examined. The findings provide a basis for architects and engineers to evaluate the feasibility of exploiting the stack effect, and to identify design strategies that maximize economic benefits from natural ventilation.

This paper presents the first scientific analysis of Germany’s Module 5 funding program, which supports companies in developing strategic decarbonization plans for individual or multiple sites in Germany. Introduced in 2021 as part of the federal funding scheme “Energy and Resource Efficiency in the Economy,” Module 5 focuses exclusively on planning rather than technical implementation. It supports the development of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction pathways aligned with the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy), and optionally Scope 3 (value chain emissions). The analysis builds on data from 175 transformation plans evaluated in 2024 as part of an official program review commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). While the dataset and basic evaluation originate from that review, the aggregation, interpretation, and reassessment presented here were conducted independently by the authors. Findings confirm that most companies met or exceeded the program’s requirement to demonstrate a 40% reduction potential in Scope 1 and/or Scope 2 emissions over ten years, largely through photovoltaic installations, renewable electricity procurement, and process optimization. Scope 3 was addressed in approximately 35% of the plans but contributed little to overall reductions. Some companies included broader Scope 3 categories beyond travel or energy procurement, though methodological consistency varied. This study offers new insights into the evaluation of planning-based climate policy instruments. It highlights methodological limitations due to the absence of implementation tracking and provides policy recommendations regarding SME inclusion, Scope 3 integration, and ex-post verification mechanisms.

Under the strategic goal of carbon peaking and neutrality, accelerating industrial carbon decoupling is one of the key duties for achieving high-quality economic development. This paper focuses on the decoupling effect and decomposition of carbon emissions from the standpoint of energy structure optimization. Based on data from 17 energy categories in 26 industrial sub-sectors at the provincial level in China from 2005 to 2021, we calculate the industrial carbon decoupling index. Then, an integrated method “Tapio + LMDI” is constructed to analyze the decoupling status and its driving factors. The study finds that: (1) The industrial economic growth and carbon emissions in China are in a weak decoupling state. Specifically, most provinces have achieved either weak decoupling or strong decoupling of carbon emissions. A few provinces are in a disadvantageous position of decoupling, mainly concentrated in the northern regions. (2) From the decomposition results, it can be seen that the economic output has become the main factor driving the increase in industrial carbon decoupling. Conversely, the energy structure effect can decrease carbon decoupling, but its contribution is relatively weak, accounting for only 16%. (3) At the regional level, energy structure plays a “supplementary role” in most provinces. The contribution of energy structure optimization to carbon decoupling is usually lower than that of industrial structure optimization or technological progress. (4) At the industry level, energy structure optimization is the conventional way for most energy-intensive and high-emission industries to achieve carbon decoupling. These findings not only provide new empirical evidence for the intrinsic relationship between energy structure and carbon decoupling, but also offer feasible insights for industrial carbon emission reduction in developing countries.

In the IEA's 2050 Net Zero Emissions Pathway, electrification is a key strategy. Transitioning to zero-carbon energy through electrification to replace fossil fuels will inevitably increase electricity demand, making the improvement of electricity efficiency crucial. This study establishes a panel regression model to analyze the factors influencing changes in electricity intensity across 36 countries from 2000 to 2021. Unlike traditional decomposition analysis, regression analysis can consider a broader range of potential influencing factors and is not limited by the homogeneity of samples required in envelope analysis, offering greater analytical flexibility. The estimated results indicate that the main drivers of electricity efficiency are economic growth, extensive deployment of renewable energy, and rising electricity prices. A shift from industry to services slightly improves electricity efficiency. However, the main obstacles to improving electricity efficiency are population growth and less ICT industry exports. Additionally, the study analyzes country-level drivers and barriers of electricity efficiency based on each country's unique economic, industrial, and infrastructural conditions, providing insights into their distinct development patterns.

This study examines the role of local communities in adopting solar energy technology in Golestan Province, Iran. The theoretical framework integrates social acceptance of innovation theories by Wüstenhagen et al. (2007) and Upham et al. (2015) with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by Davis (1989). Methodologically, this is a survey-based study that collected data via a Researcher-made questionnaire from 400 citizens selected through proportional stratified random sampling combined with multi-stage cluster sampling. Face validity was confirmed by experts, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Results indicate a positive relationship between independent variables (e.g., perceived usefulness, ease of use, relative advantage, awareness, trust in developers, price evaluation, and user attitudes) and users’ intention to adopt solar energy. Regression analysis shows that independent variables explain 36% of the variance in the dependent variable. Structural equation modeling confirms direct effects of these variables on adoption intention. The combined model effectively explains social acceptance of solar energy, making it suitable for similar studies in other Iranian regions. Based on the findings, local governments in Golestan should implement awareness campaigns, financial incentives, and public education initiatives to promote wider adoption of solar energy technologies.

Precast construction provides better quality control, improved site safety, and faster project timelines than traditional RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) methods. The push for sustainable building practices has increased in India, yet few studies offer a detailed comparison between conventional RCC buildings and modular alternatives. This study addresses that gap by conducting a comprehensive life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) of both construction types (Traditional RCC building and Light gauge steel frame (LGSF)-Ferron Modular Building in a mid-rise residential project in Maharashtra. Using a hybrid approach that integrates process-based and input–output methods, the study evaluates embodied, operational, and demolition energy, offering valuable insights into the energy efficiency of modular construction in the Indian context. Findings show that operational energy accounts for ~ 83% of total life cycle energy, followed by embodied (~ 15%) and demolition (~ 2%). The LGSF-Ferron building consumes 11.06% less life cycle energy (18,486.54 MJ/m²) than RCC (20,787.26 MJ/m²), mainly due to reduced embodied energy. This difference is specific to the case study and may vary with regional factors. The study provides evidence-based insights into material choices, construction methods, and energy-efficient strategies that contribute to India’s sustainable development goals. However, broader sustainability claims require further analysis of additional environmental impacts. The study also offers actionable insights for architects, engineers, and policymakers to explore energy-efficient modular construction, contributing to sustainable development in India.