WEC Romania event highlights national energy efficiency

Energy efficiency has received much attention in Romania in recent months, with the entry into force in August of the country’s Energy Efficiency Law (Law 121/2014).

 

It was within this policy backdrop that WEC Romania organised the conference, “Energy Efficiency, an untapped resource” on 25 September with support of the Department for Energy, the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), the Romanian Association for the Promoting Energy Efficiency (ARPEE), and members of WEC Romania.

The conference gathered over 70 specialists from government authorities (including the Department for Energy, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration), research and planning bodies, trading companies and professional associations.

The presentations and the discussions held showcased the importance of raising the level of energy efficiency on the national level. They focused on issues related to Romania’s energy efficiency target for 2020, on the central and local authorities’ role in the implementation of Law 121/2014, and the increase of energy efficiency in buildings and in industry.

The law transposes EU Directive 2012/27 on energy efficiency into national law. The law mandates:

According to a forecast conducted by the Technical University of Athens, in order to achieve the national target of 19%, final energy consumption in 2020 should be at a maximum of 30.32 million toe (mtoe). This shows that that in the absence of additional measures, final energy consumption in 2020 will reach be 31.96 mtoe. Incentives are therefore necessary to lead to savings. of 1.64 mtoe.

To meet this goal, the government has proposed policies and measures throughout the whole specturm of energy generation; transmission and distribution; household, business, and industiral usage; and energy certification.

Conference speakers highlighted the need to apply the legal provisions, the need to improve communication between the state institutions with responsibility in the sector and between those institutions and civil society. The state also needs to be involved in financially supporting the implementation of energy efficiency projects.

Moderators of the conference included (photo, from left) Emeritus Professor Aureliu Leca, ARPEE Executive Director; Mrs Daniela Bouleanu, chief advisor from the Department for Energy; Corneliu Rãdulescu, Director of ANRE; Anca Popescu, Director of ISPE; and Ruginã Vasile, WEC Romania advisor). Other experts, including Ticuta Hristov from ANRE; Camelia Rata, Executive Director of Energy Cities Romania Association; and Cornel Jivan, Technical Director of ICPE, also presented.