Investments in energy efficiency in the residential sector (27% of EU final energy demand) may also provide economic benefits at different levels of the economy. These benefits may not be realized because of barriers, which are typically reflected in implied discount rates. BRISKEE (Behavioural Response to Investment Risks in Energy Efficiency) provides evidence-based input to energy efficiency policy design and evaluation, thereby supporting the market uptake of energy efficiency technologies in the EU residential sector. It contributes to the work programme by addressing the interrelations between microeconomic factors, sectoral energy demand and macroeconomic effects, relying on a consistent methodological framework implemented in 5 work packages: • Provide empirical evidence for the magnitudes of discount rates accounting for differences across households, technologies and countries, and assess their effects on the diffusion of efficiency technologies in the EU (micro-level). A multi-country survey (1000 interviews per country) will be carried out and analyzed econometrically. • Explore the impact of time discounting and risk preferences (and of policies affecting those factors) on the diffusion of energy efficient technology and energy demand in the EU residential sector until 2030 (meso-level). Established bottom-up vintage stock models will be employed for appliances (FORECAST-Residential) and for buildings (Invert/EE-Lab). • Explore the macro-level impacts of changes in microeconomic decision-making and of energy efficiency policy on employment, GDP and exports in the EU until 2030. This involves simulations with an established macro-economic model for the EU (ASTRA). • Provide evidence-based recommendations for key energy efficiency policies and input for impact assessments and policy analysis at the three levels of analysis. • Communicate and disseminate empirical findings to policy makers, national experts, the research community and the general public.

Industry alone accounts for one-third of all the energy used globally and for almost 40% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Heat for Industrial Processes stands for 17% of the overall energy demand and for 69% of the industrial energy demand in the EU28 countries in 2013. Whereas available EE and RE technologies could supply a significant share of heat requirements in industry. Even when technological or non-technological barriers are removed, investment conditions still hold has a key barrier to a further market penetration and to a due exploitation of their market potential. Besides an insufficient awareness of technological solutions or lack of appropriate financial support measures, the main barriers to Process Heat Efficiency and Sustainability (PHES) investments are related to financing conditions: • end-user as own resources PHES but investments are regarded as having long payback; • end-user as limited own resources access to funding is difficult and limits investments. Acknowledging these facts, the main objective of TrustEE is the definition and implementation of a market-based financing model for PHES applications, gathering financial resources among a wide base of investors and assuring the investment capital for SME industries. TrustEE embodies an innovative approach to PHES financing, gathering the market expertise of end-users and technology providers on identifying specific projects matching objective economic viability criteria and providing them a securitization vehicle in combination with a project assessment platform as a financing tool embodying technical support and securitization measures ensuring: optimized investment conditions; reduction of risk; bypass restrictive criteria for SMEs financing conditions.

EEW4 aims at supporting the engagement of the public sector at all governance levels (Call Part A + partially part B): Supporting public authorities to implement the Energy Union. EEW4 intends to develop narratives for national, regional + local levels. They are key for higher levels of implementation. They combine the aim of decarbonization of EU’s economy with other benefits of energy efficiency, which increase broad acceptance in society for other reasons than climate protection: air quality, modernization, job creation, energy security. Thus, policy instruments are embedded into overarching narratives showing wider benefits for each context. • EEW4 helps MS to fulfil their obligations under EED, taking into account narratives from all across EU. • EEW4 will develop narratives for local, regional and national authorities. • EEW4 addresses all governance levels: the national and EU levels are reached via parliamentary events, surveys with administration representatives; the regional and municipal levels via the network partners Borg&Co/eceee, FEDARENE + EnergyCities. • EEW4 will address all sectors of energy efficiency to represent the full range of benefits. • EEW4 will continuously disseminate project results. It will use stakeholder input for a broad fact base and return the results for testing + dissemination. • EEW4 will enhance political commitment at MS level by creating a broader understanding of the multiple benefits of efficiency. Analysis on poor implementation levels showed, that often in political communication no genuine benefits were used to explain the need for efficiency. Instead, it was referred to ‘enforcement’ of EU directives, an exogeneous matter rather than an intrinsic case. EEW4 aims at breaking this cycle by presenting adequate narratives, case studies on good practice (how to combine policy instruments with supportive narratives), key policy recommendations how to build narratives, by parliamentary, regional and local events.

Modelling analyses typically suggest that policies accelerating the adoption of energy-efficient technologies (EETs) by overcoming barriers to energy efficiency in the residential sector provide benefits for individual households, the energy system and for society as a whole. Yet, implicit discount rates, employed to reflect households’ decision criteria and response to policy, are disputed in policy and academic circles. CHEETAH (CHanging Energy Efficiency Technology Adoption in Households) provides evidence-based input to energy efficiency policy design and evaluation, thereby supporting the market uptake of EETs in the EU residential sector. It contributes to the work programme by addressing the interrelations between microeconomic factors, sectoral energy demand and macroeconomic effects, relying on a consistent methodological framework. CHEETAH: • Provides empirical evidence on household response to established and new energy-efficiency policies and on factors driving adoption of EETs, accounting for differences across households, technologies, and countries. A multi-country survey (2000 interviews per country) will be carried out and analyzed econometrically • Assesses the impact of established and new policies energy demand in the EU residential sector until 2030 (meso-level). Established vintage stock energy models will be employed for appliances (FORECAST) and for buildings (Invert/EE-Lab) and linked with an agent-based modelling approach (ABM) • Explores the macro-level impacts of changes in microeconomic decision-making and energy-efficiency policy on employment, GDP and exports until 2030, relying on simulations with a recognized macroeconomic model for the EU (ASTRA) • Offers evidence-based recommendations for key energy efficiency policies and input for impact assessments and policy analysis at the three levels of analysis. • Communicates empirical findings to policy makers, national experts, the re-search community and the general public

Research suggests that the industrial and service sectors, which account for 40% of final energy consumption in the EU, offer substantial potential for cost-effective energy savings. However, an under-investment in energy-efficiency—an “energy-efficiency gap”—is observed in all countries due to the persistent existence of barriers. One key barrier is that companies do not consider energy use as a contributor to their competitive advantage. As a result, investments in energy efficiency are neglected compared to other investments. On the other hand, many frequently observed multiple benefits (MBs) of energy efficiency– such as improved product quality, higher flexibility, reduced production time, reduced production loss, increased safety, reduced operational, commercial, legal or climate change risks - represent important core business benefits for companies. Thus, MBs enhance both the strategic character and financial attractiveness of energy efficiency projects in companies. M-BENEFITS aims at including the MBs of energy efficiency in investment decisions of companies and thereby substantially increasing the deployment of cost-effective energy saving potentials. It contributes to the work programme by delivering best-practice examples, tools and trainings on the importance of MBs for investment decisions in companies, thereby addressing all relevant decision-makers. M-BENEFITS will -create a harmonised approach to include the MBs of energy efficiency in investment decisions of companies, -collect data and develop case studies throughout the industrial and service sectors to build-up evidence base and know-how on the importance of MBs for companies, -develop evaluation, communication and training tools for companies to identify and quantify MBs in energy efficiency projects and to communicate them in energy, operational and strategic terms, -provide tailor-made ways for trainings inside and outside the company and for communication on MBs to relevant stakeholders.