Page 52 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2017 publication

52 Winter 2017 European Energy Innovation

AUSTRIA ENERGY

Country report on energy efficiency
and renewables in Austria

By DI Dr. Günter Simader, Mag. Gregor Thenius, and Christoph Ploiner, MSc., Austrian Energy Agency

OVERVIEW both in residential and non-residential through an obligation scheme for
In Austria, policies for energy efficiency buildings. energy distributors with a sales volume
and for renewable energy are mainly of more than 25 GWh to final energy
informed by the 20-20-20 targets Increasing the share of renewables consumers in Austria contributing
of the climate and energy package. by different policy measures is only with energy efficiency measures up
The 2008 Renewables Directive (RES economically effective when the final to (cumulative) 159 PJ and, on the
– 2009/28/EG) and the 2012 Energy energy consumption is decreased other hand, through so-called strategic
Efficiency Directive (EED – 2012/27/EU) or at least stabilised in the medium measures by public authorities which
establish a set of binding measures to term. These requirements have have to account for up to (cumulative)
help the EU reach its 20% renewables been incorporated into the Austrian 151 PJ till 2020. Strategic measures
and energy efficiency targets by 2020. energy policy (taking into account include energy taxes, corporate
EU preconditions) by the Austrian environmental protection subsidy
The implementation of the RES Energy Efficiency Act that came into schemes, refurbishment activities/
directive in Austria means that the force in 2014. Within this act, Austria is vouchers, housing and energy
country has to increase its share increasing its efforts aiming to achieve subsidies, etc.
of renewables to 34% of its gross a final energy consumption of 1,050
final energy consumption by 2020. PJ by 2020. Furthermore, cumulative AUSTRIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN
Increasing the share of renewables energy savings of 310 PJ have to be INCREASING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
will be achieved by a set of measures achieved till 2020. AND RENEWABLES TILL 2017
including increasing the share of green In 2015, the final energy consumption
electricity, bio fuels, and renewables These energy efficiency targets have amounted to 1.087 PJ (see Figure 1),
in heating and cooling appliances to be accomplished, on the one hand, which obviously still exceeds the target

Figure 1: Development of the final energy consumption in Austrian sectors from 2005 to 2016 Residential
’2016*’ indicates preliminary numbers from the Statistical Office 2016 | 266 PJ

1,200

1,000
Final Energy Consumption [PJ]
800 Transport
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2016 | 392 PJ
600
Services
400 2016 | 134 PJ

200 Industry
2016 | 307 PJ
-
2005 Agriculture
2016 | 22 PJ
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016*

Austrian Energy Agency | Values for 2016 are preliminary| Data: Statistics Austria