The EU Directives on energy efficiency such as the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) or the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) trigger a great variety of policies in EU Member States. But how effective are these policies in achieving energy savings targets? Several barriers limit policy evaluation and thus hinder target-based adaptions of energy efficiency policies. This results in a lack of quantitative data, and impedes evidence-based analysis required to distinguish effective from ineffective energy efficiency policies. This information is a pre-requisite for creating new and adapting existing policies in order to achieve the energy related targets of the European Union.
EPATEE aims at tackling this problem by raising the capacity of policymakers and implementers. The project provides them both with tools and with practical knowledge to make effective impact evaluation an integral part of the policy cycle. It supports EU Member States in distinguishing effective from ineffective policies. EPATEE makes use of existing evaluation experiences in a range of instruments, such as energy efficiency obligation schemes, regulations, financial incentives and voluntary agreements. Experience sharing is the core of the project. Lessons learnt from other EU initiatives and good practices in how to successfully evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of such energy efficiency policies provide the basis for the development of guidelines and good practice evaluation tools.