Putting the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle into practice requires quantitative evidence on the extent to which demand-side resources (e.g. building retrofits) in various contexts can be preferable over supply-side resources (e.g. networks). These contexts range from municipal heat planning, to electricity network investment and the development of high-level policy strategies for Member States and the European Union (EU) at large.
In previous quantitative research, the ENEFIRST project demonstrated with EU scenarios for the EU building sector that end-use energy efficiency measures can effectively reduce the need for energy supply infrastructures in transitioning to net-zero emission levels, while also bringing a variety of co-benefits or multiple impacts.
The present report provides additional quantitative evidence on EE1st by investigating five model-based case studies. The scope of these case studies is deliberately narrower compared with the EU-wide analysis, providing opportunity for a detailed evaluation of demand- and supply-side resource options in different contexts of building types (residential, non-residential), infrastructures (electricity, district heating, gas) and local conditions (weather, costs, etc.):
Case #1: Cumulated energy savings based on cost-optimal analysis, what can we learn about optimal building stock decarbonization strategies.
Case #2: The role of district heating solutions towards deep retrofitting of buildings in different urban settlements structures.
Case #3: Heat pumps, efficiency, CO2 emissions and the value of flexible heat pumps.
Case #4: Strategic energy planning in commercial areas, balancing local heat supply with building retrofit measures.
Case #5: The trade-off between energy efficient household appliances and new electricity generation.