The aim of multEE was to improve the consistency and quality of energy efficiency policy planning and implementation through innovative monitoring and verification schemes, as well as through improved coordination between different administrative levels.
Public authorities play a key role in the reduction of EU energy consumption. Member States as well as Signatories of the Energy Community Treaty in Southeastern and Eastern Europe must produce and implement National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs) as well as detailed action plans in specific sectors such as the renovation of buildings or the application of high-efficiency cogeneration and efficient district heating and cooling systems. Local and regional authorities are also developing plans at their own level and other public authorities play an important role, too. Whereas some Member States have a longer tradition in planning and implementing energy efficiency measures and built up the necessary capacities and developed technical tools others are still in the initial stages and are facing numerous difficulties.
The following key issues were tackled within the framework of this project:
A lack of reliable data on energy efficiency measures and their results:
Monitoring systems, based predominantly on energy statistics instead of bottom-up data from implemented projects, do not provide a clear overview of energy efficiency measures implemented at different administrative levels and on their effectiveness and cost efficiency. The innovative and easy to use Monitoring & Verification systems developed through multEE empowers national governments, municipalities and regional actors to collect data and follow-up on energy efficiency measures implemented in their jurisdiction, streamlining the process and freeing up capacities for other activities. Capacity-building for introducing and using the system was provided by the project.
Multi-level governance of energy efficiency to be improved:
The horizontal and vertical integration of energy efficiency policy between different governmental levels remains an issue in many European countries. Energy efficiency plans on the municipal, regional and national level are often not sufficiently harmonised and sometimes pursue divergent goals. Better vertical and horizontal coordination mechanisms can help energy policy planners to better align the activities on different levels, design more effective and efficient support schemes based on improved understanding of local conditions and needs and thus keep up with the national saving targets.