Author(s)

V. Valero, M. Navarro, C. Mateo, S. Tesseron-Stevelinck

Abstract

The public sector is an important driver in supporting market transformation towards more efficient energy systems and buildings. To succeed in the energy transition it is important not only to mobilise local administrations, but also to engage citizens, and companies developing their business in the sector, in public energy planning and policy. But the development, financing and implementation of ambitious sustainable energy plans and measures should be based on reliable data.

The aim of this paper is to present the main insights of ACCENT, a new decision-support tool for local administrations developed under a pan-European project upheld by Climate KIC. ACCENT tool is based on a web-platform that allows local administrations to define and monitor measures addressed to improve the energy performance of buildings included in their sustainable energy action plans. The research has allowed us to recognize common pan-European challenges as the need to share real energy consumption data of buildings or the low willingness of some energy suppliers to offer information in this regard. In addition, we face specific local barriers based mainly on the lack of linkage among public bodies, the dispersion of data, the requirement of legislative and disseminating mechanisms to make citizens aware of energy renovation of their own buildings, or the inaccessibility to existing information on the state of the buildings as IEE database (Buildings Evaluation Report) in the case of Spain. In conclusion, ACCENT allows local administrations to take refurbishment decisions at a city scale based on the energy performance of buildings.

Keywords

energy strategy, GIS, co-created tool, decision support tool, energy action plan, city ecosystem, energy transition, buildings, energy performance