How to kick start a market for EPC Lessons learned from a mix of measures in Sweden

Abstract

In less than fi ve years Energy Performance Contracting has conquered at least 5 % (<4 million m 2 of ~80 million m 2 ) of the public building stock in Sweden and the number of contracts is rapidly increasing. Th e paper analyses the strategy that has led to this dynamic development. Attempts to create a market for energy services have been made in Sweden in the 1980’s and in the early 1990’s. In both cases the expectations were not met. In the third – and current – phase, the market has expanded considerably and is now the fourth biggest in the EU. Th is development is due to the adoption of a portfolio of fl exible measures. Th ese include: a “Forum for Energy Services” with stakeholders, market research studies, information and training activities using a network of multipliers based on regional energy agencies and on public building owners associations, implementation of pilot projects, EU-IEE and IEA projects and studies, subsidies for energy effi ciency investments in public buildings, and evaluation studies. Th e interaction between these measures - from identifi cation of market needs to actual contracts and follow-up - is examined based on the results from evaluation studies. Factors of success are identifi ed that allow the replication in other markets, for example where there is a high energy effi ciency potential and limited access to public funding. Th e purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of having two key factors that have enabled the growth of a sustainable market for EPC as practised during the latest years in Sweden. Th ese factors are (1) a set of activities that cover many aspects from literature studies to pilot projects and their dissemination and (2) a strong coordination between the various activities.