
The streamSAVE project officially launched its second round of Priority Actions as a continuation of its efforts to streamline energy savings calculations under Article 3 and 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive. Learn more about each new Priority Action below.

SMALL-SCALE RENEWABLE CENTRAL HEATING
Small-scale renewable central heating is a technology based on mini-plants powered by renewable resources, such as solar energy, ambient and geothermal heat, that allows for the efficient generation of a significant proportion of the heating and hot water needs in buildings. In Europe, buildings and improving the energy efficiency of their heating, cooling and energy production systems are becoming increasingly important in achieving the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming more self-sufficient. The adoption of accurate, deemed savings methodologies will foster the implementation of these small-scale renewable heating technologies.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY ACTIONS TO ALLEVIATE ENERGY POVERTY
Energy poverty affects millions of citizens in the EU and has therefore been emphasised more in EU energy efficiency policies in recent years. The European Commission’s proposal for a recast of the EED suggests that a share of the energy savings should be achieved among energy poor households. Although there are different types of policies that address and try to alleviate energy poverty, this PA will focus on estimation of impacts for those that influence energy use. Examples of such policies are improving building performance (i.e. renovation measures), appliance replacement policies (often focused on residential heating), informational measures, specific energy audit programmes, etc. Tackling energy poverty by improving energy efficiency results in multiple benefits beyond the reduction of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, such as broader social and economic benefits (reflected in potential rebound effects).

ACCELERATED REPLACEMENT OF INEFFICIENT ELECTRIC MOTORS
Motors are responsible for 70% of industrial electricity consumption and over 35% of the electricity consumption in buildings – a figure that is growing fast due to the electrification. New evidence indicates that motor replacement rates are lower than commonly assumed, with motor lifetimes far exceeding the generally accepted theoretical lifetime of 12 to 20 years depending on motor power size. This implies that there are many old and inefficient motors still in service. Replacing those motors by high-efficiency types would yield substantial additional energy savings and provide a significant contribution to EU climate objectives.

BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES RESULTING FROM FEEDBACK ABOUT ENERGY USE OR TAILORED ADVICE TOWARDS HOUSEHOLDS
There are several examples of measures that have proven to have significant impact on human behaviour, such as provision of feedback on energy usage and tailored advice. Their main goal is to increase knowledge about their energy consumption and more efficient technologies, triggering behavioural changes towards more efficient use of energy resources. Some studies suggest that human behaviour is at least as important as the physical characteristics of a building in influencing energy use, however calculating their effect in the different Member States is sometimes very complicated due to the different social, cultural and economic contexts.

MODAL SHIFT FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORT
A modal shift in freight transport from road to rail provides multiple benefits. Aside from the higher efficiency and lower emissions connected to rail transport, it reduces the volume of traffic on roads. However, calculating the effect of actions taken in this area can be complicated, as data needed is often hard to find. Within this Priority Action, streamSAVE will provide an overview of the modal shift potential from road to rail per Member State, taking into account the Member States’ rail network density, different types of products and different shipping distances.