Efficiency know-how lacking

Many governments are hindered in their efforts to improve energy efficiency by a lack of technical capacity and know-how, says the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Two years ago, the IEA made a series of energy efficiency policy recommendations that could save 8.2 Gt of CO2 per year by 2030 – equivalent of twice the European Union’s annual emissions. To date, however, only around 40% of the 25 recommendations have been implemented, says the organisation.

In a bid to change that, the IEA this week launched Policy Pathways: Showing the way to energy efficiency implementation now, aimed at helping government implement energy efficiency policies.

The initiative provides practical ‘how to’ guides for designing, implementing and evaluating energy efficiency policies. The first Policy Pathway in the series deals with policies covering the performance standards of appliances.

Appliances currently account for around 15% of the total electricity used in IEA countries and is growing apace in developing nations. But the sector offers the potential to make significant savings in the short-to-medium term.

Key to achieving savings in this area is implementing monitoring, verification and enforcement (MVE) policies, says the IEA.