Evaluation and monitoring of the funding scheme Energy Savings Meter

© Christian Delbert / Fotolia

With the adoption of the 2010 energy concept, the German Federal Government set the goal of a 20% reduction of the primary energy consumption in Germany by the year 2020, and a 50% reduction target by 2050. In addition, the European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) stipulates mandatory evidence for achieved energy savings. On 3rd December 2014, the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAPE) was adopted. It included a call for submissions for the “Energy Savings Meter” pilot programme. This scheme aims to apply digitalisation for energy efficiency. Eligible for funding are pilot projects which make the quantification of energy consumption transparent using digital measurement systems, and which identify savings potentials and motivate final consumers to save energy. The project includes a concurrent evaluation of the funding scheme. In addition, it delivers guidance and support in connection with technical questions and quality control, and assesses the programme in terms of scientific robustness of results. Background analyses and expert workshops will explore additional questions over the course of the project. Novel insights – such as differences between calculated savings potentials and the actual savings achieved in the pilot projects ­ will be analysed, prepared for publication and communicated in order to support the advancement of business models in the energy efficiency sector.