Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung ISI

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  • Publication
    Regional energy efficiency networks - what factors make them successful?
    ( 2016)
    Dütschke, Elisabeth orcid-logo
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    Hirzel, Simon orcid-logo
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    Mielicke, Ursula
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    Idrissova, Farikha
    ;
    Nabitz, Lisa
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    Mai, Michael
    Energy efficiency networks have received increasing attention over the last few years, not only from national governments (Austria, China, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland), but also from utilities, consulting engineers, chambers of commerce, and city councils. This paper examines the factors that contribute to the success of such networks by drawing on unique data from two pilot projects with 34 energy efficiency networks in Germany. The objective is to explain why companies participating in such networks are much faster at reducing their energy costs than the average in similar businesses. Possible explanations for the success of energy efficiency networks include: (1) energy audits make profitable potentials visible; (2) the joint network targets for efficiency and emissions increase the motivation of energy managers, decision-makers and other staff members; (3) the meetings and site visits to the network participants act like an intensive training course. They increase the knowledge of efficient solutions, change decision routines, and lead to trust among the participants, thereby reducing transaction costs. In our data, we find support for the first and the third explanations, i.e. the audits make profitable potentials visible and networks function as a training course to increase knowledge. The impact of network goals, on the other hand, appears to have both up- and downsides. We conclude with the need for further research in order to capture these mechanisms in more detail.
  • Publication
    Energy efficiency networks - a group energy management system as a business model?
    ( 2016)
    Jochem, Eberhard
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    Gerspacher, Andreas
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    Eberle, Armin
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    Mai, Michael
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    Mielicke, Ursula
    During the initial phase of setting up and operating energy efficiency networks in industry (in the 1980s and 1990s in Switzerlandand in the early 2000s in Germany), their initiators did not realize how effective and adaptive this concept would turn out to be. This paper reports on the lessons learnt about this "group energy management system", where ten to 15 companies or production sites regularly exchange their experiences, set joint efficiency targets and perform a yearly monitoring of their efforts. Energy efficiency networks have been implemented with great success in different settings: (1) as centrally organized instruments with an operating standard set by government (Switzerland), or with an open standardset by the state utility (China), or (2) as an open standard with a minimum specification (Germany, Austria). In every case, participation is not obligatory, but encouraged by incentives offered by the national government. Initially designed as regional company networks where energy managers could meet locally, the concept is now evolving into (1) networks of industrial branches and (2) group-internal energy efficiency networks. Other changes include: the initial energy audit has been expanded to include demand-side management analysis and the flexibility potentials of on-site electricity generators (co-generation, standby set); information about organizational measures and financing options is added continuously; process-oriented workshops on energy-efficient solutions in production processes are offered to the members of all 80 networks operating in Germany (examples: solid painting,drying); participating companies have taken their own initiatives to improve their products' energy efficiency. Innovative energy managers have even asked their plant and machinery suppliers to improve the energy performance of their products, speeding up innovation in the efficiency field. An association of energy efficiency networks (AGEEN) was founded in Germany in 2014 to develop a quality standard for operating energy efficiency networks, to promote networks in Germany, and to share their experiences andideas for further improvements and market transparency. The German federal government launched the Energy Efficiency Network Initiative together with 22 industrial and business associations in December 2014. The objective of this voluntary agreement is to support the establishment of 500 energy efficiency networks until the year 2020 in Germany that are expected to make primary energy savings of 75 PJ and CO2 reductions of 5 mill. tonnes.