ACEEE International Energy Efficiency Scorecard 2014 Germany gets No. 1 rank

ACEEE International Energy Efficiency Scorecard 2014 Germany gets No. 1 rank

THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY SCORECARD
JULY 2014

A  country  that  uses  less  energy  to  achieve  the  same  or  better  results  reduces  its  costs  and pollution, creating a stronger, more competitive economy. While energy efficiency has played a role in the economies of developed nations for decades, cost-effective energy efficiency remains a massively underutilized energy resource.
 
In this second edition of the International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, we analyze the world’s 16 largest economies covering more than 81% of global gross domestic product and about 71% of
global electricity consumption.

We looked at 31 metrics divided roughly in half between policies and quantifiable performance to evaluate how efficiently these economies use energy. The policy metrics  were  scored  based  on  the  presence  in  a  country  or  region  of  a  best-practice  policy.

Examples of policy metrics include the presence of a national energy savings target, fuel economy standards for vehicles, and energy efficiency standards for appliances. The performance metrics are a measure of energy use and provide quantifiable results. Examples of performance metrics include average miles per gallon of on-road passenger vehicles and energy consumed per square foot of floor space in residential buildings. The metrics are distributed across the three primary sectors  responsible  for  energy  consumption  in  an  economically  developed  country:  buildings, industry,  and  transportation. We have  also  included  a  number  of  metrics  that cut  across  these sectors (such as the efficiency of electricity generation) and that indicate a national commitment to  energy  efficiency.  These metrics are included in a national efforts section.  The maximum possible score for a country is 100 points, and we allocated 25 points to each of these four sections, assigning a point value to each metric. We then scored and ranked all economies based on the results of our research.

Germany  has  the  highest  overall  score,  with  65  out  of  100  possible  points.
The top-scoring countries in each category are: China in buildings, Germany in industry, Italy in transportation, and a three-way tie between France, Italy, and the European Union in national efforts.

Our  results  indicate  that  some  countries  are  significantly  outperforming  others,  but  the  more important finding is  that  there  are  substantial  opportunities  for  improvement in  all  economies analyzed.  The  conditions  required  for  a  perfect  score  are  currently  achievable  and  in  practice somewhere on the globe. For every metric, at least one country (and often several) received full points. However, every country also has serious weaknesses, and the average score was just 50 points.

Understanding exactly why countries scored and ranked where they did requires a detailed look
at the metrics; however, generally, the top-scoring countries scored solidly across all four sections.

The  United  States  has  made  some  progress  toward  greater  energy  efficiency  in  recent  years, particularly in areas such as building codes, appliance standards, voluntary partnerships between government  and  industry,  and,  recently,  fuel  economy  standards  for  passenger  vehicles  and  heavy-duty  trucks.  However, the overall story is disappointing.
The  United  States,  long considered  an  innovative  and  competitive  world  leader,  has  progressed  slowly  and  has  made limited  progress  since  the  last  International  Scorecard  in  2012.  In contrast, countries including Germany, Japan, and China are surging ahead. Countries  that  use  energy  more  efficiently  use fewer  resources  to  achieve  the  same  goals,  thus  reducing  costs,  preserving  valuable  natural resources, and gaining a competitive edge over other countries. In the United States, a great deal of resources are wasted, and costs have been allowed to remain unnecessarily high.

The inefficiency in the U.S. economy means a tremendous waste of energy resources and money.
Across most metrics analyzed in this International Scorecard, in the past decade the United States has made limited progress toward greater efficiency at the national level. The overall U.S. score of 42 is less than half of the possible points and is 23 points away from the top spot.

Further, the United States falls behind Canada, Australia, India and South Korea. These scores suggest that this list of countries may have an economic advantage over the United States because using less energy  to  produce  and  distribute  the  same  economic  output  costs  them  less.

Their efforts to improve efficiency likely make their economies more nimble and resilient.

The ACEEE report lauded Germany’s target of a 20% reduction in primary energy consumption by 2020 and 50% by 2050, compared to 2008 levels, and awarded the country first place for energy efficiency in the industrial sector.

The EU intends to establish a near zero energy standard for all new buildings

“For Germany’s construction sector — the largest in the EU — the Energy Saving Ordinance will have a major impact,” Kellerman said.  “The regulations call for a 25 percent reduction in energy use for all new residential and non-residential buildings built from January 1, 2016. As of 2021, the EU’s nearly zero energy standard will apply to all new buildings.”

The 28 member European Union was evaluated as one country and placed third overall, behind two of its members.  The EU, France and Italy tied on their scores for national energy efficiency efforts.

Germany is No.1 in the World for Energy Efficiency

Below is the scorecard

Total 100 Points –

Country name -    Score - Rank

1-Germany - 65 - 1

2-Italy – 64 - 2

3-EU- 63 - 3

4-China – 61 - 4

5-France – 61 - 5

6-Japan – 57 - 6

7-UK – 57 - 7

8-Spain- 54 - 8

9-Canada – 50 - 9

10-Australia – 49 – 10

11-India – 45 - 11

12-South Korea – 44 - 12

13-USA – 42 - 13

14-Russia - 35 - 14

15-Brazil – 30 - 15

16-Mexico – 29 – 16

Source - http://www.aceee.org/

Overview Mission –
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. We believe that the United States can harness the full potential of energy efficiency to achieve greater economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection for all its people.

ACEEE was founded in 1980 by leading researchers in the energy field.
Since 1980, ACEEE has accomplished a great deal and has become known as America’s leading center of expertise on energy efficiency.


Reality views by sm –

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Tags – Energy Ranking Germany No. 1 2014