Endogenous Energy Efficiency Improvement in Housing and Cement Sectors in Switzerland

The reduction of energy consumption in the residential building stock and cement industry is a substantial component of the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050. Therefore, it is vital to identify the potential for EEI in these two sectors. In this study, a new methodology was developed for the acceleration of EEI via two new models. The main goal of this research is to investigate the impacts of energy and climate policies on the deep decarbonisation of the Swiss residential building stock and cement industry.

In the first paper, the Swiss building stock model is developed. The objective was to understand the future evolution of the Swiss residential building stock, taking into account the different policy measures implemented and how these measures can help to achieve deep decarbonisation of the sector. For this purpose, a two-step decision process was developed for property owners, which consists of the decision to audit and the decision to retrofit. The results of our simulations show that soft (information) and strong (economic) incentives are more effective when combined.

In the second paper, the building stock model was extended with additional features. The objective was to investigate the impact of the endogenous decision to build NC, taking into account the introduction of restrictions on NC and the implementation of different policy measures on the Swiss residential building stock. With this intent, the choice of energy class for NC in the housing stock was endogenized, different policies were introduced and restrictions on the energy class of NC were imposed. The results show that large-scale retrofits of the existing building stock together with the introduction of different policy measures and restrictions on the energy class on NC are essential to reach deep decarbonisation targets. However, in this model, the upfront CO2 related to the building of new constructions or the retrofitting of existing ones is not considered.

In the third paper, the energy efficiency model for the Swiss cement industry was developed. The objective of this study was to investigate how endogenous energy efficiency improvements combined with the implementation of different policy measures can help to achieve deep decarbonisation in the Swiss cement industry. The developed model is able to consider and evaluate the impact of measures on fuel and electricity consumption and CO2 emissions, using a plant-specific bottom-up approach. The results show that to develop specific policies and programs to encourage further implementation of energy-efficient measures in the Swiss cement industry, an understanding of the existing technologies and barriers to their implementation is essential.

Overall, this research has demonstrated that it is crucial to assess the effects of different policies on EEI in the Swiss residential building stock and cement industry. In particular, a smart combination of policy measures, together with an understanding of the existing technologies a