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Enhancing energy efficiency in public buildings: The role of local energy audit programmes

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  • Annunziata, Eleonora
  • Rizzi, Francesco
  • Frey, Marco

Abstract

In the objective of reaching the “nearly zero-energy buildings” target set by the European Union, municipalities cover a crucial role in advocating and implementing energy-efficient measures on a local scale. Based on a dataset of 322 municipalities in Northern Italy, we carried out a statistical analysis to investigate which factors influence the adoption of energy efficiency in municipal buildings. In particular, the analysis focuses on four categories of factors: (i) capacity building for energy efficiency, (ii) existing structure and competences for energy efficiency, (iii) technical and economic support for energy efficiency, and (iv) spill-over effect caused by adoption of “easier” energy-efficient measures. Our results show that capacity building through training courses and technical support provided by energy audits affect positively the adoption of energy efficiency in municipal buildings. The size of the municipal authority, the setting of local energy policies for residential buildings and funding for energy audits are not correlated with energy efficiency in public buildings, where the “plucking of low hanging fruit” often prevails over more cost-effective but long-term strategies. Finally, our results call for the need to promote an efficient knowledge management and a revision of the Stability and Growth Pact.

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  • Annunziata, Eleonora & Rizzi, Francesco & Frey, Marco, 2014. "Enhancing energy efficiency in public buildings: The role of local energy audit programmes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 364-373.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:69:y:2014:i:c:p:364-373
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2014.02.027
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    6. Moya, Diego & Torres, Roberto & Stegen, Sascha, 2016. "Analysis of the Ecuadorian energy audit practices: A review of energy efficiency promotion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 289-296.
    7. Francesco Rizzi & Eleonora Annunziata & Marco Frey, 2018. "The Relationship between Organizational Culture and Energy Performance: A Municipal Energy Manager Level Study," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 694-711, September.
    8. Zhang, Shicong & Wang, Ke & Xu, Wei & Iyer-Raniga, Usha & Athienitis, Andreas & Ge, Hua & Cho, Dong woo & Feng, Wei & Okumiya, Masaya & Yoon, Gyuyoung & Mazria, Edward & Lyu, Yanjie, 2021. "Policy recommendations for the zero energy building promotion towards carbon neutral in Asia-Pacific Region," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    9. Marinela Krstinić Nižić & Marcel Bračić, 2014. "Effective use of resources in tourist facilities - focus on energy efficiency," Tourism and Hospitality Industry section3-1, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management.
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    11. Liu, Guo & Li, Xiaohu & Tan, Yongtao & Zhang, Guomin, 2020. "Building green retrofit in China: Policies, barriers and recommendations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
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    13. Jan Kaselofsky & Marika Rošā & Anda Jekabsone & Solenne Favre & Gabriel Loustalot & Michaël Toma & Jose Pablo Delgado Marín & Manuel Moreno Nicolás & Emanuele Cosenza, 2021. "Getting Municipal Energy Management Systems ISO 50001 Certified: A Study with 28 European Municipalities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, March.
    14. Chen Zhao & Jiaxuan Zhu & Zhiyao Xu & Yixuan Wang & Bin Liu & Lu Yuan & Xiaowen Wang & Jiali Xiong & Yiming Zhao, 2022. "The Effect of Air Pollution Control Auditing on Reducing Carbon Emissions: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-15, December.
    15. Christopoulos, Stamatios & Demir, Cansu & Kull, Michael, 2016. "Cross-sectoral coordination for sustainable solutions in Croatia: The (meta) governance of energy efficiency," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 57-87.
    16. Maren Springsklee & Fabian Scheller, 2022. "Exploring non-residential technology adoption: an empirical analysis of factors associated with the adoption of photovoltaic systems by municipal authorities in Germany," Papers 2212.05281, arXiv.org.

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