Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency
A Guide to Quantifying the Value Added
The traditional focus on energy savings as the main goal of energy efficiency policy
has, at times, led to an underestimation of the full value of energy efficiency in
both national and global economies. Energy efficiency can bring multiple benefits,
such as enhancing the sustainability of the energy system, supporting strategic objectives
for economic and social development, promoting environmental goals and increasing
prosperity.
The aim of this book is two-fold: to build knowledge of the multiple benefits of energy
efficiency, and to demonstrate how policy makers and other stakeholders can use existing
tools to measure and maximise the benefits they seek. Five key benefits areas – macroeconomic
development; public budgets; health and wellbeing; industrial productivity; and energy
delivery – are investigated in-depth, showing compelling returns when the value of
multiple benefits is calculated alongside traditional benefits of energy demand and
greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Considering multiple benefits also has important
implications for unravelling one of the persistent challenges in energy efficiency
– the rebound effect – revealing that it often signals a positive outcome in terms
of achieving broader social and economic goals.
By identifying and quantifying a broader range of impacts of energy efficiency, the
multiple benefits approach repositions energy efficiency as a mainstream tool for
economic and social development, and has the potential to motivate higher uptake of
energy efficiency opportunities in the market.
Published on September 09, 2014