5.4.Legistlative base non - mandatory for eu Member states

Electricity/heat cogeneration installations can achieve energy efficiency levels of around 90 %. The development of cogeneration could avoid the emission of some 250 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.

Energy efficiency is considered to be a key component of European energy policy. It therefore constitutes one of the cornerstones of the European Union’s (EU) 2020 strategy. This Plan proposes several directions for a transition towards a more efficient economy as regards the use of energy resources.

The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) establishes an energy technology policy for Europe. It's a strategic plan to accelerate the development and deployment of cost-effective low carbon technologies. The plan comprises measures relating to planning, implementation, resources and international cooperation in the field of energy technology. SETIS is the European Commission's Information System for the SET-Plan led by the Joint Research Centre. It supports the strategic planning and implementation of the SET-Plan. It makes the case for technology options and priorities, monitors and reviews progress regarding implementation, assesses the impact on policy, and identifies corrective measures if needed.

According to SET plan such Strategic Energy Technology are discussed; advanced fossil fuel production, Biofuels Bioenergy, Cement energy efficiency, Carbon capture and storage, Cogeneration of heat and power, Concentrated solar powe,r Electricity grids, Electricity storage in the power sector, Fuel cells and hydrogen, Geothermal power, Hydropower, Nuclear fission power, Nuclear fusion power, Ocean wave power, Road transport efficiency, Solar heating and cooling, Solar photovoltaic, Wind energy.

Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 [7] highlights several aspects of energy efficiecy energy consumption in buildings, as this sector is responsible for almost 40 % of the final energy consumption in Europe.

The Plan also states that Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) may give financial assistance to public authorities to modernise buildings and thus reduce their energy consumption.

European Commission proposes to intensify energy taxation.

Consumers should also have information about their own energy consumption in real time by means of “intelligent” individual meters, as recommended in the Directive establishing the internal market in electricity.

The transport sector represents 32 % of final energy consumption. The Commission intends to define a strategy to improve the efficiency of this sector, for example by introducing traffic management in all modes of transport.

The Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 forms part of the European Union’s (EU) 20 % target (aimed at reducing primary energy consumption) and the 2020 Energy strategy. It aims at:

• promoting an economy that respects the planet’s resources;

• implementing a low carbon system;

• improving the EU’s energy independence;

• strengthening security of energy supply.

In order to meet these objectives, the European Commission proposes to act at different levels.

In March 2000 the European Council set out the Lisbon Agenda, now referred to as the 2020 Strategy, for the European Union (EU), which aims to make the EU "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion, and respect for the environment". The creation of the European Technology Platforms (ETPs) is one concrete measure translated from the goals of the 2020 Strategy.

On 15 December 2011, the European Commission adopted the Communication "Energy Roadmap 2050". The EU is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050 in the context of necessary reductions by developed countries as a group. In the Energy Roadmap 2050 the Commission explores the challenges posed by delivering the EU's decarbonisation objective while at the same time ensuring security of energy supply and competitiveness. The Energy Roadmap 2050 is the basis for developing a long-term European framework together with all stakeholders.[ http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy2020/roadmap/index_en.htm], in particular the provisions on decentralisation of the power system and heat generation. There are set of priorities beyond 2020 are defined, such as primary energy demand drops in a range of 16% to 20% by 2030 and 32% to 41% by 2050 as compared to peaks in 2005-2006.

The Commission considers the biggest energy savings are to be made in the following sectors: residential and commercial buildings (tertiary), with savings potentials estimated at 27 % and 30 % respectively, the manufacturing industry, with the potential for a 25 % reduction, and transport, with the potential for a 26 % reduction in energy consumption.

These sectoral reductions of energy consumption correspond to overall savings estimated at 390 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) each year or €100 billion per year up to 2020. They would also help reduce CO2 emissions by 780 million tonnes per year.

These potential savings come in addition to an estimated 1.8 % (or 470 Mtoe) reduction in annual consumption which would partly stem from other measures already adopted and normal replacements of material.

Achieving the 20 % reduction objective will help reduce the EU's impact on climate change and dependence on fossil fuel imports. The Action Plan will also boost industrial competitiveness, increase exports of new technologies and will have positive benefits in terms of employment. The savings made will, moreover, offset the investments put into innovative technologies. [Communication from the Commission of 19 October 2006 entitled: Action Plan for Energy Efficiency: Realising the Potential [COM(2006) 545 – Not published in the Official Journal].]

There are three main European Technology Platforms (ETPs) (Energy, ICT and Transport) [7], involved in the mapping of industry needs for future researches as well as the existing expertise in the area of smart meters in the European Union.

ETPs provide a framework for stakeholders, led by industry, to define research priorities and action plans on a number of technological areas where achieving EU growth, competitiveness and sustainability requires major research and technological advances in the medium to long term. Some European Technology Platforms are loose networks that come together in annual meetings, but others are establishing legal structures with membership fees.

ETPs work on developing and updating agendas of research priorities for their particular sector. These agendas constitute valuable input to define European research funding schemes. Since they are developed through dialogue among industrial and public researchers and national government representatives, they also contribute to create consensus and to improve alignment of investment efforts.  Avoiding duplication and making the most of poles of excellence and best practices is one of the great challenges of European research, and ETPs are a very good vehicle to improve synergies.

ETPs foster effective public-private partnerships, contributing significantly to the development of a European Research Area of knowledge for growth. Public-private partnerships can address technological challenges that could be a key for sustainable development, for the improved delivery of public services and for the restructuring of traditional industrial sectors.

The European Commission does not own or manage European Technology Platforms, which are independent organisations. The European Commission did, however, support their creation and remains engaged with them in structural dialogue on research issues. The industrial platforms are efficient way to involve sector representatives in the building annual call in one or other sector, like ICT 2013 – the annual protect call, including research priorities in Information and Communication Technologies area, as well as ENERGY 2013 call, SECURITY 2013 call and ects.

Table 1.1. Individual ETPs

Energy	ICT	Bio-based economy	Production and processes	Transport
Biofuels	ARTEMIS	FABRE TP	ECTP	ACARE
SmartGrids	ENIAC	Food	ESTEP	ERRAC
TPWind	ISI	GAH	ETP SMR	ERTRAC
Photovoltaics	Net!Works	NanoMedicine	Manufuture	Waterborne
ZEP (Zero Emissions Platform )	NEM	Plants	FTC	ESTP
SNETP (Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform)	NESSI	Forest-based	WSSTP
RHC (Renewable Heating & Cooling - European Technology)	EUROP		SusChem

As stated in the call for proposal in Intelligent Energy topic [//ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/files/call_for_proposals/call_2013.pdf]

The actions as policy scenario developments; gap analysis; surveys; energy use trends; monitoring, reporting and/or benchmarking of energy efficiency progress and policies; expert recommendations; contribution of smart meters and other innovations; etc electricity produced from renewable sources, facilitating grid balancing, flexibility and distributed generation are highlighted. The Intelligent energy call refers to ISO 50001 or other recognised standards for all targeted public authorities to be felloved in the development of energy strategy for municipalities. For sectors covered by the project development assistance are:

• Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in existing buildings;

• District heating/cooling, focussing on the development of new networks running to a large extent on RES, or on the integration of RES into existing networks as well as their energy-efficient refurbishment; (note: projects must at the same time address the need to reduce energy consumption in the buildings which are connected to these networks);

• Energy efficient street-lighting;

• Clean urban transport.