Introduction
The EU-Project EMEEES
The Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on energy end-use efficiency and energy services has created a framework to improve energy efficiency within the Member States. An overall indicative energy saving target of 9% by 2016 shall be adopted by the member states. In order to implement the Directive, the Member States must develop national energy efficiency action plans (NEEAPs), which have to be submitted to the European Commission for their approval. The NEEAPs contain a description of the energy saving programmes and measures that will be implemented in order to achieve the indicative target.In order to evaluate the NEEAPs, harmonised methods for monitoring and verification of the energy saving measures are required. According to the EU Directive, in measuring the realised energy savings, a harmonised calculation model which uses a combination of top-down and bottom-up calculation methods shall be used. A bottom-up calculation method means that energy savings obtained through the implementation of a specific energy efficiency improvement measure are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), in Joules (J) or in kilogram oil equivalent (kgoe) and added to energy savings results from other specific energy efficiency improvement measures. A top-down calculation method means that the amount of energy savings is calculated using the national or larger-scale aggregated sectoral levels of energy savings as the starting point. Adjustments of the annual data are then made for extraneous factors such as degree days, structural changes, product mix, etc. Top-down methods do not provide exact measurements at a detailed level.
The project EMEEES is funded by the European Commission (Intelligent Energy Europe) and deals with the “Evaluation and Monitoring for the EU Directive on Energy End-Use Efficiency and Energy Services”. The project is carried out by a consortium of 21 European partners and coordinated by the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy. The objective of EMEEES is to assist the European Commission in developing harmonised evaluation methods. It aims to design methods to evaluate the measures implemented to achieve the 9% energy savings target set out in the EU Directive (2006/32/EC) on energy end-use efficiency and energy services. It includes the development of concrete methods for the evaluation of programmes, services and measures (bottom-up and top-down), as well as schemes for monitoring the overall impact of all measures implemented in a Member State (combination of bottom-up and top-down methods).
The main results of the project will be:
- a system of harmonised bottom-up, top-down and integrated methods for the evaluation of energy efficiency technologies and/or energy efficiency improvement measures
- a set of harmonised input data and benchmarks for these evaluation methods
- a template and a guide for Member States for the National Energy Efficiency Action Plans
- an agreed method for the European Commission to assess the NEEAPs.
First National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) of Hungary
The government of Hungary submitted its first NEEAP to the European Commission in July 2007. The NEEAP was developed within the framework of Hungary's energy policy for the period 2007-2020. The NEEAP spans from 2007 to 2013, in consistency with the New Hungary Development Plan (NHDP).
The NEEAP describes a number of national energy-saving programmes and measures. In addition, it provides an estimation of the savings that can be achieved by 2013 by maintaining these programmes in operation during the period 2007-2013:
- Energy saving credit fund (EHA): 6-6.5 PJ/annum
- Energy efficiency Credit Construction co-financed by PHARE: 5-5.5 PJ/annum
- The energy saving support and credit programme “For a successful Hungary” for the residential sector: 3-3.3 PJ/annum
- Development of an environmentally friendly power management under the operational programme for environmental protection and infrastructure (KIOP): 11 PJ/annum
- Supporting the energy-saving modernisation and renewal of the residential buildings (panel programme): 1-2 PJ/annum
- UNDP/GEF energy efficiency programme: No figures are given
- Energy certificate (currently being implemented): 2-3 PJ/annum
The NEEAP estimates that the energy savings induced by those programmes listed above that were running between 2002 and 2006 amounted to 17.67 PJ/annum by the year 2006. In addition, the NEEAP estimates that in the period 2002-2006 about 40.2 billion Hungarian Forint (HUF) were awarded in the form of state aid grants and approximately 22 billion HUF were granted as soft loans.
The NEEAP does not contain an estimation of the indicative energy savings target for Hungary requested by the EU directive 2006/32/EC.