Page 22 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2016 publication
P. 22
22 Winter 2016 European Energy Innovation
ENERGY SECURITY
complete and prolonged gas-supply Gas demand in buildings reduced through energy efficiency measures
disruption from Russia, the region
would be able to meet its demand with
reverse-flow pipelines from Western
Europe and LNG terminals.
The upfront investment is relatively account when preparing their risk Heating and cooling infrastructure to
high in all scenarios, but is more than assessments under the Security of be planned strategically
offset by the avoided energy costs. The Gas Supply Regulation.
maximum investment needed under • A strategic roadmap should be
the ’energy security‘ scenario is €81bn, EU level policies and definitions need developed to shift away from
which delivers energy-cost savings refinement traditional heating and cooling
of €106bn (present value costs and methods based on fossil fuels and
savings, derived over the measures’ • Funds from the Connecting Europe local biomass, towards modern
lifetime). To sum up, the savings far Facility, the Multiannual Financial approaches built on best available
outweigh the initial commitment. Framework, the European Fund low-carbon technologies. Energy
for Strategic Investments and the efficiency of the whole energy
While a considerable share of Structural and Investment Funds system, including district heating,
investment will come from private should be better directed for should be addressed in order to
sources, public funding can fast-track investments in deep renovations of mitigate the demand for gas as well
and support the process, by using the building stock. as for other energy carriers.
funding from the European Fund for
Strategic Investment and the
European Structural and Investment
Funds.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON THREE
LEVELS
In BPIE’s view, several steps can be
taken order to decrease the risks
South-East Europe is facing:
Preventive measures have to be • Energy efficiency and demand-side • Subsidies for fossil fuels need to be
considered response need to be taken into phased out and redirected to clean
account in The Projects of Common energy developments that support
• The European institutions and Interest list for 2018. the combination of renewable
countries in the region are strongly energy technologies and energy
encouraged to set energy efficiency • To ensure that local employment efficiency improvements in the
as an infrastructure priority. opportunities are maximised and building sector.
that economic benefits are retained
• In drawing up their Preventive within the region, a strategic multi- Some food-for-thought, as
Action Plans under the Security country approach that sees the governments should consider other
of Gas Supply Regulation, development of manufacturing alternatives to decrease energy supply
participating countries need to look capacity alongside the expected risks and encourage investments to
into demand-side measures on increase in the installation of upgrade their national building stock.
an equal footing with supply-side renovation measures is required. This would generate domestic growth,
measures. modernise the national building
• The significant renewable energy infrastructure and improve inhabitants’
• Countries in the region are potential in the region needs to be living conditions. l
encouraged to take the Building maximised, including within the
Vulnerability Indicator (BVI) into building stock. 1. bcm = billion cubic metres
For an in-depth analysis, see BPIE’s report at
http://bpie.eu/publication/safeguarding-energy-security-in-south-east-europe-with-investment-in-demand-side-infrastructure/
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
