Welcome

to the second newsletter of the COMBI project (Calculating and Operationalising the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency Improvements in Europe). This bi-annual newsletter informs about the main project proceedings. For more frequent updates, as well on related publications and events on the topic, stay in touch via the social networks:

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For background information on the project, please visit our website combi-project.eu.

Project status

The project has entered the phase of quantification and modelling of a multitude of impact indicators for Multiple Benefits of energy efficiency. We aim at finalising quantifications by end of 2016. Basis for this work was a thorough review on existing studies and literature and a consequent development of quantification methodologies. The respective reports are now available for download at the project website. Most recently, draft project reports on multiple impact quantification methodologies have been published (see below). 

Draft methodologies  for Multiple Impact quantification published

First drafts of the methodological approaches for the quantification of the Mulitple Impacts that will be applied in COMBI have been published. All reports are accessible via the download section of our website. The methodologies will be continuously developed throughout the project and be updated respectively.

Quantification methodologies published recently

Draft quantification methodology for air pollutiuon/ human health impacts

Draft methodology for resource impact quantification

Draft methodology for quantifying social welfare impacts

Draft methodology for quantifying productivity impacts

Draft methodology for macroeconomic impact quantification

Draft methodology for quantification of energy system/security impacts

All publications including previous literature reviews are available at combi-project.eu/downloads

Conferences and other events

COMBI at the IEPPEC Conference 2016

This conference was the largest gathering of energy program and policy evaluators in Europe and Asia, hosted in Amsterdam from 7-9 June, 2016. The conference under the motto “Make the Paris agreement a reality with effective evaluation for energy efficiency” aimed at fostering successful carbon neutral/mitigation policies and programmes in the future. The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for the presentation, critique and discussion of sound evaluations, as well as for experience sharing about evaluation practices. Felix Suerkemper from Wuppertal Institute presented a paper submitted by the COMBI consortium giving an overview of the literature and of the methodologies that will be applied within COMBI. The paper was presented in the session on „Innovations in the evaluation of multiple benefits of energy efficiency” (Moderated by Jim Scheer, SEAI):

Widening the Perspective: An Approach for Evaluating the Multiple Benefits of the 2030 EU Energy Efficiency Potential 

COMBI at Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions Conference

COMBI researcher Nora Mzavanadze from University of Manchester was one of the keynote speakers at the SSPCR 2015 conference in the thematic session 3 on “Benefits, costs and opportunities of urban transition” towards a more smart and sustainable dimension: accounting and assessment of values and trade-offs within the decision making processes. Find her presentation on COMBI on the EURAC website.

COMBI on air

Nora Mzavanadze from University of Manchester talked about COMBI research and the Paris Climate Agreement for the Lithuanian National Radio, broadcasted on 12 January 2016. She has stressed the importance of the scientific evidence on multiple benefits of low-carbon energy solutions in reaching this agreement. Nora further elaborated on a comprehensive multiple benefits accounting approach in COMBI research and how such research may change the way we think about energy options in the future.

Socioeconomic research on energy efficiency: Exchange meeting and policy feedback

The exchange meeting in January 2016 in the premises of DG ENER focussed on recent results of EU projects on socioeconomic research on energy efficiency and their potential role for policy feedback. The invited projects (BRISKEE, COMBI, IN-BEE) were selected in the Horizon 2020 Call EE-12/2014. The objective of the meeting was to exchange recent research progress between projects and discuss how H2020 projects can provide policy support to DG ENER within the review of EU energy efficiency legislation in 2016. Based on the COMBI literature review, we presented relevant publications and magnitudes of selected Multiple Impacts to representatives of the European Commission as background information especially for the EED and EPBD reviews.

COMBI in advocacy

COMBI researchers Prof. Stefan Bouzarovski and Nora Mzavanadze of the Center for Urban Resilience and Energy (CURE), University of Manchester have responded to the call for evidence on domestic energy efficiency issued by the Westminster Sustainable Business Forum. The call was in preparation of the new report to inform policy makers about possible options as the current UK domestic energy efficiency policy framework expires. CURE researchers have elaborated on the drivers of energy efficiency and multiple benefits of energy efficiency, emphasized the implications of shallow versus deep retrofits, criticized the current fuel poverty and domestic energy efficiency policy mechanism, and stressed the importance of learning and knowledge sharing in implementin g domestic energy efficiency measures. The report “Warmer & Greener: A guide to the future of domestic energy efficiency policy” is available here.

COMBI publications

Widening the Perspective: An Approach to Evaluating the Multiple Benefits of the 2030 EU energy efficiency potential

Review article on COMBI methodologies in the proceedings of 2016 International Energy Policies & Programmes Evaluation Conference (IEPPEC)

Authors: Thema, J., Suerkemper, F., Thomas, S., Teubler, J., Couder, J., Mzavanadze, N., Bouzarovski, S., Ürge-Vorsatz, D., Chatterjee, S., von Below, D.

Download PDF

Measuring multiple impacts of low-carbon energy options in a green economy context (in press)

In: Applied Energy Special Issue ‘Toward a green energy economy: Choosing and assessing policy options targeting low-carbon energy systems’

Authors: Ürge-Vorsatz, D., Kelemen, A., Tirado-Herrero, S., Thomas, S., Thema, J., Mzavanadze, N., Hauptstock, D., Suerkemper, F., Teubler, J., Gupta, M., Chatterjee, S. (2016). doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.07.027

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