Increasing energy efficiency - more flexibility in the expansion of renewable energy

Press Release of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology

At the informal energy council which took place yesterday and today in Paris at the start of the French Presidency, the EU energy ministers mainly discussed the proposed directive on renewable energy in the context of the climate and energy package presented by the European Commission in January, and the issue of energy efficiency.

State Secretary Jochen Homann: "I believe that the informal council showed that the flexibilisation model proposed by Germany, Poland and the UK, which is intended to help the member states to attain their national targets for the expansion of renewable energy, has brought movement into the debate. It has also become clear that the member states are prepared to support the expansion targets proposed for them. I believe that today's discussion represents a step forward. A flexible trading system can lower the costs for the expansion of renewable energy by enabling greater flexibility on attainment of the target. Furthermore, our proposal ensures that there will be no race to provide subsidies in the form of conditions for support which would ultimately have to be paid for by the consumer."

Further to this, the sustainability criteria for biofuels were discussed at the informal council. These criteria are intended to ensure that both biofuels produced in the EU and imported biofuels actually reduce carbon emissions in the transport sector, that their cultivation is ecologically and socially sustainable, and that competition with other forms of use, and especially with food production, is avoided. The ad-hoc working group put in place by the Commission is making good progress on the co-ordination of rules which are acceptable to all member states. Here, Germany's national arrangement provides a basis. There is a consensus that the rules under discussion need to be adopted as soon as possible.

With regard to the subject of energy efficiency, State Secretary Homann called on the European Commission to give consumers more information about energy-efficient appliances.
State Secretary Homann stated: "I believe that products form the core area of energy efficiency policy at EU level. In particular, we need a rapid revision of the Energy Labelling Directive which brings it into line with technological progress. Particularly when energy prices are rising, consumers need unambiguous information about the energy consumption of an appliance, so that they can deliberately opt to purchase a highly efficient product. The ongoing stipulation of minimum efficiency criteria for energy-driven products, and the regular updating of these criteria, also need to be progressed rapidly."

The key focus of the council debate on energy efficiency was an exchange about possible specific energy-conservation measures. In this context, State Secretary Homann referred to the CO2 building renovation programme and the energy advice which is available for private consumers with the support of the Federal Government. Both programmes are core elements of the German Government's policy on energy efficiency. The Federal Economics Ministry provides about € 8 million to fund energy advice each year; this programme alone (on-the-spot energy advice in residential buildings and energy advice at the consumer advice centres) results in some € 150 million of additional investment in energy efficiency each year; the programme is therefore being expanded in the context of the German Government's integrated energy and climate programme. State Secretary Homann also stressed the significance of new technologies for a successful energy efficiency policy. In view of this, the Federal Economics Ministry has set up a "Technology programme for climate protection and energy efficiency", and will provide some € 430 million towards this in the coming four years. Furthermore, the Government is investing a total of € 60 million in the "E-Energy" project; here, six model regions will test how the use of information and communications technology can make energy systems more efficient. The aim is both to conserve energy and to enhance the integration of renewable energy into the power grid.