Environmentally Significant Behaviour in the Czech Republic: Energy, Food an... (Ukázka, strana 99)

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moderate climate conditions varying, however, across various retrofit measures, and being highest for windows and lowest for facades and roofs. The average annual energy consumption for a single family building in moderate climate conditions, such as the Czech Republic, can differ significantly between old dwellings without refurbishment (270 kWh/m2) and newly built houses with the best type of thermal insulation installed (20 kWh/m2) (Lechtenböhmer & Schüring, 2011).

International statistics on housing stock quality show that the average building stock in the new EU Member States, including also the Czech Republic, is characterized by a lack of maintenance and the need for refurbishment. For that reason also the introduction of thermal insulation in the new Member States seems to have a much larger energy saving potential than in the former EU-15 states (ECOFYS, 2005).

Our results of the household survey confirm our expectations about the relatively lower penetration of thermal insulation in Czech households. The share of the Czech households that have installed thermal insulation (see Figure 5.3) is much smaller than in the case of the two minor efficiency investments mentioned previously. In fact, only some 55% of respondents stated that thermal insulation of walls, windows or roofs has been installed in their dwellings. Moreover, some 11% of Czechs indicated that thermal insulation of any form cannot be installed in their dwellings. Similarly, in the case of thermal insulation we also observe that a large group of Czechs, as much as 45%, has installed thermal insulation only in the last 10 years. Interestingly, this group seems to be noticeably larger in the Czech Republic than in any of the remaining nine OECD countries, reflecting the fact that the energy efficiency of households started improving due to historical conditions later than in most western countries.14 In any case, there remains about one third of respondents who reported that thermal insulation has not been installed in their dwellings yet although it could be installed. This figure suggests that the potential of energy-savings due to the introduction of thermal insulation is quite considerable in the Czech Republic.

As a matter of fact, it has been shown that with an appropriate mix of policy measures the behavioural plasticity for this type of behaviour reaches as much as 90% (Dietz et al., 2009a). In other words, it is possible 14 Our survey has been conducted before the Ministry of the Environment has launched the Green Light for Savings Program specifically designed to enhance the introduction of thermal insulation in residential and other dwellings.

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100% 90% 80% 70% 60%

Not possible

50%

Not installed

40%

Installed

30%

Already equipped

20% 10% 0% CZE

AUS

CAN

FRA

ITA

KOR

MEX

NLD

NOR

SWE

Figure 5.3 “Has your household installed any thermal insulation (e.g. walls and roofs, double-glazing)?”

Source: OECD Project on Household Behaviour and Environmental Policy, 2008

to induce 90% of those who have not installed any thermal insulation to do so over the next 10 years.

The appropriate policy mix includes, among others, the tightening of building standards through a mix of regulations (building codes) and fiscal and other incentives, improved compliance with the standards achieved through better control, and increase in the refurbishment rates of the shells of existing buildings through financial incentives (Lechtenböhmer & Schüring, 2011). At the EU-level, the next step in this direction has been taken through the recast of the Directive 2002/91/EC on the Energy Performance of Buildings in 2009. In the Czech Republic, the energy performance of buildings is regulated by the Act No. 406/2000 Coll. (Zákon č. 406/2000 Sb.), on energy management and its section 6a is further elaborated by the Decree of the Ministry of Industry and Trade No. 148/2007 Coll. (Vyhláška č. 148/2007 Sb.), concerning the energy performance of buildings.

In any case, projections of the future energy-savings due to the installation of thermal insulation in buildings differ according to how much of policy effort will be devoted to the stimulation of these efficiency measures: low-potential scenarios estimate the savings at some 12,000 ktoe in the whole EU in 2030, while the high-policy scenario is estimated to save some 40 ktoe in 2030, out of which some 10% is attributable to the new Member States, excluding Poland (Lechtenböhmer & Schüring, 2011).

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Energy-efficiency rated water heaters The operation of water heaters and boilers has a significant effect in terms of energy consumption and also in terms of environmental effects. In fact, the space-heating function of central heating boilers consumed as much as 10.8 PJ of primary energy and emitted 16% of all CO2 emissions related to fuel consumption in the EU-25 in 2005 (Kemna, van Elburg, Li, & van Holsteijn, 2007a). In addition, water heaters, including the water heating function of central heating boilers, consumed as much as 3,790 PJ and contributed 6% to all fuel-related CO2 emissions in the EU-25 in 2005 (Kemna, van Elburg, Li, & van Holsteijn, 2007b).

In the Czech Republic, water heating accounted for 11% of the total residential energy consumption in 2003; about 35% of Czech households had a water heater in that year, with the average penetration rate being much higher in rural (67%) than in urban areas (25%). In 2003 the average age of efficiency water heaters in Czech households amounted to 9.7 years (ČSÚ, 2005).

Households that are not connected to an external supply of hot water can choose between various water-heating-systems. The choice of the water heating system is contingent not just on the energy sources available for the household, but also on restrictions given by the properties of the flat and degree to which the household has the right to install major retrofits. Furthermore, the various water-heating options differ also with respect to their purchase and operating costs and their energy efficiency.

It is estimated that the energy-saving potential related to the operation of the unit and due to the replacement of an inefficient boiler by an efficient one ranges between 40% and 60% depending on the quality of the more efficient alternative (Kemna et al., 2007a). Similarly, the energy saving potential related to the replacement of an inefficient water heater by an efficient one ranges between 35% and 60% depending on whether the best available technology is chosen (Kemna et al., 2007b).

As far as we are aware, there are no reliable statistics concerning the penetration of efficiency-rated water heaters in the Czech households. In this respect, the results of our survey provide the first indication of the share of efficient water heaters in the stock of water-heating devices. For the purpose of brevity and simplicity, our survey included only a binary indicator of whether some efficiency water heater has been installed regardless of its type. For that reason, we are not able to differentiate between the various heater types.

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