HERON partners worked on deviations caused by barriers of end-users’ behavior towards EE targets and studied ways of addressing these barriers and reducing these deviations, through effective policies. The developed pathway of the project facilitates its users to conclude with the preferred scenario, among a number of optimal developed ones with the use of the multi-criteria AMS .
HERON process:
Develop EE scenarios;
Define the set of behavioral barriers
Collect and develop a reliable qualitative data base;
Calculate (through the HERON – DST) the impact and total impact factors of barriers;
Calculate the emerging deviations, due to behavioral barriers, on both the input drivers and EE targets, in scenarios’ analysis;
Identify the optimum EE scenario against Environmental performance, Political acceptability and Feasibility of implementation using the multi-criteria AMS;
Conclude with a policy mixture leading to a more effective and preferable EE scenario.
When national reports were ready, national workshops were organized to present the results and discuss with market stakeholders and experts the process and the results, gaining feedback on the produced work and sharing the information of how this new innovative tool can be used in energy efficiency scenarios building.
In addition, a comparative analysis of the barriers and their possible minimization was done, including all participating countries, with interesting results. The outcomes were presented during an international conference, addressing to international and EU experts and stake holders, aiming again, not only to inform, but to received feedback and engage participants into a fruitful dialogue over the barriers and minimization of them.
The innovative outcome, HERON – Decision Support Tool
HERON - DST is a user-friendly software, based on an innovative methodology, minimizing the negative impact of end-users’ behavior in Energy Efficiency (EE) policy-making and leading to the optimum combination of EE technologies and practices.
The problem that had to be faced was to “Overcome deviations in EE targets, created by behavioral barriers demonstrated by end users”. The concept underpinning HERON-DST was to “Quantify qualitative data concerning end-user’s behavior in forms capable to be incorporated into EE modeling input drivers”.
The developed innovative methodology, based on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), led to the HERON – DST which: allows the calculation of the negative impact of barriers (Impact factor), incorporates these Impact factors in forward looking EE scenarios, calculates the occurring deviation against targets due to these barriers and provides combinations of technologies and practices, allowing the optimization of scenario’s inputs.
Barriers are mapped, merged and grouped into 3 main categories: Social-Cultural-Educational, Economic and Institutional. Then barriers are compared pair-wised and the importance of one barrier over the other is assessed using a 1-9 scale. After the completion of all comparisons, the Impact factor for each one of the identified barriers is calculated.
The Impact factor is a numerical outcome, expressing the contribution of the concerned barrier in preventing the achievement of EE targets. EE technologies and practices are linked with the relevant barriers through their Total Impact factors that are provided by HERON – DST. Occurring deviations are calculated. Options for reducing deviations through the optimum combination of EE technologies and practices and the minimization of the impact factors leads to optimized outcomes. Outcomes are available to be used as inputs to EE modelling.
The methodology consists of six steps, starting with mapping, categorizing and merging the behavioral barriers to conclude with the incorporation of Total impact factors in the forward looking EE modeling.
HERON - DST material available at:
Manual:
https://heron2017.wordpress.com/manual/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie) Case studies:
https://heron2017.wordpress.com/implementation/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie) HERON DST free of disposal– ask here:
https://heron2017.wordpress.com/heron-dst/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)
