Unlocking the energy Efficiency Opportunity - Jim Scheer, SEAI

Unlocking the

Energy

Efficiency

Opportunity

Jim Scheer

SEAI

June, 2015

#betterenergy

• Technical and economic

potential

• Key opportunities per

sector

• Consumer decision

making analysis

• Key policy

recommendations

• Exchequer perspective

and wider economics

• Beyond 2020

€700m

annual

savings

Advice and

mentoring

to over 3,000

SME’s

160 largest

industry

users

activated

Over

300,000

homes

upgraded

200

community

based

projects

Building

regulations

Public sector

programme

Tax

measures

€

€ €

€ €

Investment

Value of savings + Health, wellbeing

+ Competitiveness

+ Reduced import bill

+ more…

Multiple benefits

Remaining potential

The business case is clear …

• Expand on the achievements to date

• Make our energy efficiency target

• Multiply these benefits for households and business

How do we accelerate

uptake of energy

efficiency across the

economy?

We know.. • There is no silver bullet

• It does not happen by itself

Finance

Different measures are needed to

over come different barriers

Information

Split

incentives

‘Hidden’

costs

Influencing consumer choices with policy

Consumer awareness House

types

Business

types

Budgets

Willingness-

to-pay

“I am already considering my options”

“I think I can reduce energy use but I’m not sure where to start”

“I think I have already put in all measures”

“Energy is not a top priority for me”

38% 40% 38%22% 26%

25% 18%28%

25%28%

35% 40%29%

47% 40%

Retail Warehouse

and storage

6%

OfficeHotel

5%

Restaurant/

public house

3% 3%

6%

I

III

II

IV

Influencing consumer choices with policy

Information campaigns,

promoting services, audits

Financial support, loans,

EPC, tax incentives

Regulation

Some specific policy interventions

• Low interest finance in the residential sector can

unlock savings

• Reaching an aware consumers through regulation

requiring targeted information

• Active promotion of the ESCO market

• A focus on behavioural change in transport

Target

achievement

NOW

Risks of

inaction

Net savings €8 billion

Government +€1 billion

Jobs and GDP

Lost competitiveness

Import reliance

EU fines in 2020

2020

Getting it done

• Targeted policy package

• Interactive and reinforcing policies

• Raising awareness of personal

gains available

• Informed and engaged citizens

Unlocking

the Energy Efficiency

Opportunity

Full report at www.seai.ie/energydata

#betterenergy