These are the supporting materials used by the different speakers of the H2020 WHY project opening session. This evento was held on September 10, 2020.

1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon
2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No
839509. The sole responsibility for the content of this presentation lies
with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the
European Union. Neither the EASME nor the European Commission are
responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained
therein.
Making the Efficiency First (E1st) principle operational
Presentation at the WHY Open Day │ Thursday 10 September

2. Modelling in the
ENEFIRST
project
Vlasis Oikonomou
(IEECP)
Tim Mandel
(Fraunhofer ISI)
10 September 2020
MAKING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY FIRST PRINCIPLE OPERATIONAL

3. Introducing ENEFIRST ‘making the E1st principle operational’
Objectives
3 Focus on buildings’ end use and related energy systems
• To define the principle of E1st
in practical terms
• To map how E1st has been
applied internationally and in
the EU, and select priority
policy areas
• To assess the value of applying
E1st across different policy areas
and to quantify potential impacts
for buildings’ end use and related
energy systems
• To develop policy proposals for the implementation of E1st

4. 4
IDENTIFICATION of the most relevant policy
areas where the E1st principle can be applied
to achieve the highest impact in terms of
energy system benefits
APPLICATION of E1st in existing policy
instruments, through assessing the
applicability & transferability of international
E1st approaches and quantifying the impacts
of E1st
ENGAGEMENT with stakeholders to apply
E1st through the design of new policy
instruments and analyse their application in
country case studies
Modelling part

5. Introducing the ENEFIRST team
Coordinator
+ stakeholder engagement
5
“modelling” team
+ communication
& dissemination
“policy analysis” team

6. ENEFIRST Timeline
6
Where we are now
Already available on the website:
• Reports on:
 Background analysis and
definitions
 Barriers to E1st
https://enefirst.eu/reports-findings/
• Examples about implementing E1st:
https://enefirst.eu/examples/
• Brochure in 7 languages
https://enefirst.eu/newsroom/
Coming soon:
• Report on
modelling
approaches
Online workshop
on modelling
done mid-June

7. 7
From the 1980’s, development of approaches
for energy planning to take into account that
acting on the demand is possible
A brief history of the Energy Efficiency First concept
Demand-Side
Management
Least-Cost
Planning
Integrated
Resource Planning
Energy
Efficiency as a
Resource
Mostly about the electricity sector + US +
vertical integration / monopolies
Late 1990’s / early 2000’s: liberalization of the
energy markets  new context to develop
energy efficiency activities
Energy Efficiency
Obligation Schemes
2010’s: something more is needed
need to take into account demand-side
resources more systematically
Energy
Efficiency
First
2016: EC communication on
Clean Energy for All Europeans
2018: Governance Regulation
See the first ENEFIRST report for more details !
First
Fuel

8. Barriers identified in ENEFIRST
8
• Political barriers are the category most frequently mentioned by respondents, suggesting that implementing the E1st
principle would be first and foremost a political decision.
• A majority of respondents stressed the lack of expertise, knowledge, awareness or understanding, which suggests
that a proactive dissemination of good practices and case studies is important.
• Implementing E1st can work only if every actor understands what it means for them: making E1st a common practice
implies making E1st part of everyone’s work.
• Multiple benefits of E1st need to be considered and communicated more effectively among stakeholders, in line with
one key element of the E1st principle: using a broader scope in cost-benefit analysis.
• Making E1st a common practice would require a cultural change along the whole chain of actors.
• Cultural barriers are related to actors’ own habits and practices as well as about breaking silo thinking.
• Other barriers specific to E1st relate to possible reasons why supply-side options might be given priority, disregarding
demand-side options: these aspects are at the core of the E1st principle and complement the analyses done earlier
on the background and definitions of E1st (see ENEFIRST 2020a) by emphasising why we need to think beyond
existing energy efficiency policies.

9. General questions discussed at the modelling workshop last June:
What does “taking into account the E1st principle” mean when
modelling long term energy scenarios?
and what methodological challenges does this involve?
9

10. 10
Modelling E1st comes down to determining the least-cost mix of resources
Storage
Power-to-gas, batteries,
hydro straoge, gas
storage, heat storage
Conventional
generators
Power plants, boilers,
cogeneration
Renewables
Wind, solar PV, solar
CSP, geothermal
NetworksElectrical grids, pipelines,
district heating and cooling
Reactive changes in
consumer electricity
demand in response to
price signals
Demand
response
Building refurbishment,
appliances, ...
Energy
efficiency
Consumer behavior
changes, reducing energy
services
Energy
conservation
Automated load control
and shifting (e.g. HVAC)
Demand
flexibility
Supply-side resources Demand-side resources
minimize total system costs
subject to ▪ reach target x
▪ meet service y
▪ ...

11. 11
Research question: What is the role of building efficiency in pathways
towards EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate targets?
cuts in greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990 levels)
reduction in primary energy demand
compared with reference scenario
share of renewable energy in final
energy consumption
cut in greenhouse gas emissions in the ETS
sectors (compared to 2005)
cut in greenhouse gas emissions in the
effort sharing sectors (compared to 2005)
40%
32.5%
32%
43%
30%
2014 Policy Framework
COM/2014/015 final
Energy Efficiency Directive
(EU) 2018/2002
Renewable Energy Directive
(EU) 2018/2001
Emissions Trading Directive
(EU) 2018/410
Effort Sharing Regulation
(EU) 2018/842
2030 CLIMATE & ENERGY FRAMEWORK
A Clean
Planet for
All
2050 LONG-TERM STRATEGY
Climate-neutrality/
net-zero greenhouse gas emissions
[-100% compared to 1990 levels]
Paris
Agreement
European
Green Deal
Targets to be revised based on the EU Green Deal

12. 12
Quantifying the impacts of implementing E1st through the comparisons of
scenarios Scenarios under consideration / specifications
Balance Efficiency First Direct Renewables Heat pumps Heat networks e-fuels
CORE SCENARIOS BONUS
Objective
2030
 ≥40% reduction GHG emissions (1990)
 ≥32% share for renewable energy
 ≥32.5% improvement in energy efficiency
2050
Climate neutral economy – net-zero GHG emissions
Thermal
efficiency
Appliance
efficiency
Biomass/solar
potentials
Heat pump use
DH expansion
e-fuel use
BUILDINGSSECTOR

13. Model setup
Four models will be employed in the system analysis
13
Partner
Model type
Invert/EE-Lab Heat network modelmodel
TU Vienna Fraunhofer ISI IREES
Sectors
[end-uses]
Resolution
Bottom-up energy demand
simulation
Bottom-up energy demand
simulation / optimization
Bottom-up energy supply
optimization
GIS-based bottom-up
network optimization
 Residential [Electrical appliances,
lighting, cooling, cooking, other]
 Non-residential [...]
 Power/heat capacity
expansion / system operation
 T&D capacity expansion
 Residential [Space heating, hot
water]
 Non-residential [...]
 Heat network expansion
 temporal: yearly
 spatial: country (EU-27)
 temporal: yearly
 spatial: country (EU-27)
 temporal: 8760 h/a
 spatial: 100x100 m grid
 temporal: yearly
 spatial: 100x100 m grid
Fraunhofer ISI

14. Combining models to achieve the objective: estimating total system costs
Energy demand
Invert/EE-
Lab
Energy supply (power/heat)
Power networks
Heat networks
Heat network model
Energy use
(heating, appliances)
Energy use
(district heating)
Power generation,
capacities, dispatch
Capacities CHP, heat
pumps, ...
Total system
costs
Equipment cost
Power/heat
generation cost
T&D cost
heat infrastr.
cost
14 More details available soon in the report about the enefirst modelling approach

15. Thank you
Vlasis Oikonomou (IEECP) and Tim Mandel (Fraunhofer ISI)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 839509. The
sole responsibility for the content of this presentation lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the
EASME nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Website:
https://enefirst.eu/
Newsletter:
https://enefirst.eu/stay-in-touch/