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Report March 7, 2023

Clean heat standards: New tools for the fossil fuel phaseout in Europe

By Marion Santini, Richard Cowart, Samuel Thomas, Duncan Gibb, Richard Lowes, Jan Rosenow

Europe is heavily reliant on fossil fuels in the heating sector. The EU has set itself a goal of deploying 30 million additional heat pumps by 2030. To advance the transition away from fossil fuels in the heating sector, the EU and its Member States have recently proposed or agreed on several heat-related policies. This includes an emissions trading scheme for gr...

Energy Efficiency Program Design, Heating and Cooling, Renewable Energy Policies Download View Summary
Policy Brief June 15, 2022

Boosting the EU energy savings obligation

By Marion Santini, Samuel Thomas, Louise Sunderland

As part of the Fit for 55 legislative package, the European Commission proposed a recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive in July 2021. The recast includes significant changes to the Directive’s cornerstone article on the energy savings obligation, Article 7 (now Article 8). As a next step, EU legislators – the European Parliament and the Council of the EU ...

Energy Efficiency Obligations Download View Summary
Policy Brief December 20, 2021

Measuring and increasing impact: The next challenge for EU energy efficiency policy measures

By Samuel Thomas, Marion Santini

The European Union is entering a crucial decade in its energy transition, with the 55% climate goal representing a step change in ambition. Energy efficiency is expected to play a major role in achieving necessary reductions in energy consumption across buildings, transport and industry. Enacting the Energy Efficiency First principle will require reliable data on...

EM&V, Energy Efficiency Obligations Download View Summary
Policy Brief June 14, 2021

Fit for 55: Aligning European policy for decarbonised heat in buildings

By Louise Sunderland, Marion Santini, Jan Rosenow

Heat in buildings is still largely delivered by burning fossil fuels. To meet Europe’s 2030 climate target, the European Commission assesses the buildings sector must reduce emissions by 60% over 2015, and close to one in four heating systems will need to be replaced. How do we ensure that these systems are replaced with decarbonised alternatives? Two centra...

Heating and Cooling, Integrated Energy and Environmental Policy, Standards and Codes Download View Summary
Report June 8, 2021

Pricing is just the icing: The role of carbon pricing in a comprehensive policy framework to decarbonise the EU buildings sector

By Samuel Thomas, Louise Sunderland, Marion Santini

To meet the European Union’s carbon goal of reducing emissions by at least 55% net from 1990 levels, the European Commission wants the buildings sector to take the lead. The EU’s Climate Plan Impact Assessment sees building renovations and sustainable renewable heating system replacements cutting carbon emissions in the sector by 60% by 2030. At the same time...

Climate and Public Health, Regulation and Governance, Renewable Energy Policies Download View Summary
Report June 1, 2021

Next steps for MEPS: Designing minimum energy performance standards for European buildings

By Louise Sunderland, Marion Santini

Meeting the European Commission’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings by at least 55% by 2030 will require renovating buildings at previously unheard of rates and depth. This goal opens up vast opportunities for citizens, national economies and progress towards climate goals, but also issues a formidable challenge. To date, most Member St...

Energy Efficiency Program Design, Integrated Energy and Environmental Policy, Standards and Codes Download View Summary
Policy Brief November 25, 2020

Article 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive 3.0: How to maximise the energy efficiency opportunity for climate neutrality

By Marion Santini, Samuel Thomas

In its 2030 Climate Target plan, the European Commission suggests raising the ambition of the EU’s energy efficiency policies to reach climate neutrality by 2050. It mentions the possibility of increasing the energy savings obligations under Article 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). This paper provides a rationale for increasing the contribution of...

Energy Efficiency Obligations, Energy Efficiency Program Design, Regulation and Governance Download View Summary
Report July 28, 2020

Case studies: Minimum energy performance standards for European buildings

By Louise Sunderland, Marion Santini

The European Union has committed to a net-zero economy by 2050. To get there, it must decarbonise the building stock, which accounts for 36% of EU carbon emissions. The current rate of renovation, however, is only one-third of that needed. Even the improvements that are being undertaken are delivering meagre savings of 9% to 17% primary energy. Europe therefore n...

Climate and Public Health, Energy Efficiency Program Design, Standards and Codes Download View Summary
Report June 28, 2020

Filling the policy gap: Minimum energy performance standards for European buildings

By Louise Sunderland, Marion Santini

The European Union has committed to a net-zero economy by 2050. To get there, it must decarbonise the building stock, which accounts for 36% of EU carbon emissions. The current rate of renovation, however, is only one-third of that needed. Even the improvements that are being undertaken are delivering meagre savings of 9% to 17% primary energy. Europe therefore n...

Climate and Public Health, Energy Efficiency Program Design, Standards and Codes Download View Summary
Policy Brief

Response to European Commission consultation on EU strategy for energy sector integration

By Marion Santini, Jan Rosenow

Announced as part of the European Green Deal, the EU strategy for energy system integration aims to better link the different energy sectors in the EU — electricity, gas, buildings, transport, industry — to help them reduce carbon emissions. In May 2020, RAP provided a contribution to the European Commission ahead of the publication of the strategy on 8 Ju...

Demand Response, Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency Program Design, Pricing and Rate Design, Role of Regulatory Institutions Download View Summary