Uncovering the multiple objectives behind national energy efficiency planning

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 54; pp. 230 - 239
• Main Authors: Haydt, Gustavo, Leal, Vítor, Dias, Luís
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2013; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air quality; Applied sciences; Attributes; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide emissions; Climate change; Cost; Cost reduction; Costs; Decision analysis; Decision makers; Economic data; Electric power; Electric power generation; Electricity; Energy; Energy conservation; Energy consumption; Energy development; Energy economics; Energy efficiency; Energy planning; Energy policy; Energy use; Exact sciences and technology; Financing; General, economic and professional studies; Global warming; greenhouse gas emissions; Infrastructure; Investment; Investments; Mathematical problems; Methodology. Modelling; Multi-objective; Objectives; Outdoor air quality; planning; Portugal; Power plants; Risk; Saving; Savings; Studies; Usefulness; Portugal; Energy efficiency; Energy planning; Multi-objective; Energy conservation; Multiobjective analysis; Energy policy; Planning; Energy savings
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.11.027

This work seeks to identify the fundamental objectives behind the development of energy efficiency (EE) plans for countries. It also presents a method to quantify the degree of achievement of each objective, through the identification and operationalization of attributes. This was achieved by applying Keeney's value-focused thinking approach. For that purpose, three key decision makers in EE planning were interviewed along with a bibliographic review on the subject. From this process six fundamental objectives were identified formalizing the problem as a multi-objective one: (i) to minimize the influence of energy use on climate change; (ii) to minimize the financial risk from the investment; (iii) to maximize the security of energy supply; (iv) to minimize investment costs; (v) to minimize the impacts of building new power plants and transmission infrastructures and (vi) to maximize the local air quality. The respective attributes were: (i) CO2 emissions savings; (ii) payback; (iii) imported energy savings; (iv) investment cost; (v) electricity savings; and (vi) total suspended particles savings. To show the usefulness of the work, the objectives and attributes identified were used to show the possible outcomes from five hypothetical EE plans for Portugal.