In a leak this week, the Støre government revealed six measures in the state budget to save 10 TWh of electricity. By comparison, Greater Oslo uses around 9 TWh a year. – If we are to save so much electricity, then we must have good energy solutions both in workplaces and in homes, said Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap). The list included, among other things, an instruction to Enova to spend NOK 1.1 billion on savings measures in Norwegian houses in the period 2021–2024. – This is rude. The household pays NOK 400 million to Enova every year. It will be more than this billion. Is the budget leak that we should get the money back? asks Einar Wilhelmsen in MDG. He adds: – This is so astonishingly weak that I have to resort to English to describe it. This is a gigantic “nothingburger”. A no-nonsense package. Former Climate and Environment Minister Ola Elvestuen (V) called in August for subsidies for “simple Enøk measures such as heat pumps, geothermal heating, additional insulation, solar cells and batteries”. – What the government comes up with is little or nothing, he says. This is the government’s ENØK measure Save electricity in the building for the state The Minister of Local Government and Districts recently sent a letter to all ministries to reduce energy use in owned and rented premises. Based on this, Statsbygg has set up a reception desk to advise its tenants and other government enterprises on energy efficiency in buildings and to give advice on energy measures. Legal-based electricity savings through ENOVA From 2021-2024, ENOVA will provide NOK 1.1 billion. available for ENØK measures in the household. The scheme is based on law so that everyone who meets the criteria receives support. Appoint NVE as ENØK coordinator The work on energy efficiency is today spread across the administration and lies both within the building sector, the energy sector and the environmental sector. There is a need for stronger coordination of ENØK work across sectors, and the Government is therefore giving Norway’s Water and Energy Directorate (NVE) a new and clearer responsibility within the field. NVE will also be commissioned to report annually on the status of target achievement when it comes to energy saving in buildings. Better and simpler information about power saving Access to good information about measures for energy saving and energy efficiency is important for companies and households to make good energy choices. The government is therefore working on an information scheme about ENØK aimed at households, businesses and the public sector, which will be implemented before the coming winter. Electricity support for business The government has also proposed creating a new energy subsidy scheme, aimed at companies with electricity costs corresponding to at least 3 per cent of turnover in the first half of 2022, and which have also had their electricity prices double in the past year. A company that fulfills the criteria of the scheme, and which also carries out an energy survey, can apply for a grant to cover parts of both the electricity bill and a possible investment in energy measures. Companies that only carry out energy mapping can have up to 25 per cent of the electricity price over 70 øre/kWh covered for the months of October, November and December 2022. Companies that also like to invest in energy measures, and apply for support for this, can have electricity costs covered accordingly up to 45 per cent of the electricity price above 70 øre per kWh, and in addition receive up to 50 per cent of the investment cost of the energy measure. Strengthen the Husbanken The government is preoccupied with smoothing out social differences and helping those who need it most. Through Husbanken, we will therefore strengthen the investment in energy measures which, among other things, will benefit people with low incomes. The government will return to Parliament with a proposal for how the investment should look in the national budget for 2023. – Had hoped the government was more forward-leaning Tore Strandskog, who is director of business policy at Nelfo, is a little more diplomatic. – We had hoped the government was more forward-looking, he says. He refers to the plan to save 10 TWh by 2030 as “an old goal from 2016”. – Here the government should show action and increase the goal setting. The response is symptomatic of how the rest of the industry reacts to the budget leak. – We can already see that people save a lot on electricity. Now we want to stand up to contribute to further savings, says Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap). Photo: ØYSTEIN OTTERDAL / news / NTB – This is worrying and in practice means no investment in energy efficiency in commercial buildings, says Guro Hauge, who is director of the National Association of the Building Industry. She refers to analyzes from NVE which show that “the largest and most easily available energy saving potential” is to be found precisely in commercial buildings. Enova has previously provided support for energy efficiency in commercial buildings, before this was removed. – Re-introducing this support will be an important measure for all those companies which are not covered by the electricity support, but which still have very high energy bills, says Hauge. Course in window sill restorationOddgeir Sæle/news – Not everyone has to have 22 degrees in the office The gas crisis in Europe was the reason why the EU this summer recommended turning down the thermostat in public buildings and businesses – to 19 degrees. In the same spirit, Terje Aasland (Ap) said this week that “not everyone has to have 22 degrees in the office”. It is a cost-saving measure with little or no effect, says Hauge. – If all Norwegian office premises reduce the temperature by one degree, it will only result in a saving of 0.1 TWh. Christian-Marius Stryken is director of the National Association of Norwegian Housing Builders (NBBL). – The government will not achieve the goal of saving 10 TWh in buildings with what is signaled to come in this state budget. Our calculations show that the government must spend 1 billion a year to reach the target in 2030, he says. SV’s energy policy spokesperson, Lars Haltbrekken, tells news that it is “good that the government sees that we have to do more”. – But if we are to manage to save an enormous amount of electricity in the next few years, which is the goal, then we must do even more. Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions and climate targets measured in million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents? Click for explanation of CO₂ equivalents. Norway’s climate target23.1–25.7 million tonnes annually Go to news’s Climate Status What is Norway’s climate target?By 2030, Norway must cut 50-55 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels. The goal is to be achieved in cooperation with the EU. By 2050, 90-95 per cent of Norwegian emissions must be cut. This means that we must cut emissions at record speed. In the last ten years, we have managed to cut around 5 million tonnes. In the next ten, we will cut around 25 million tonnes. How will Norway reach the climate target? Norway must cut emissions in two ways, because the emission sources can be divided into two: are particularly emissions from industry and the oil/gas platforms. The emissions are covered by the EU’s quota system: In order to emit greenhouse gases, the industry must buy permits (quotas) in the EU at the price determined by the quota market. Steadily higher prices and fewer allowances will force emissions cuts where it is easiest to implement. Non-eligible emissions: These are greenhouse gas emissions from, among other things, transport, agriculture, waste and heating in buildings. This is called the non-quota-obligatory sector because you do not need quotas to release greenhouse gases. How Norway can cut emissions in this sector is described in the specialist report “Climate cure 2030”. The politicians decide which of the measures from the report are to be implemented. Norway can also cut non-quota-obligatory emissions by paying for emission cuts in other European countries. The government says that it plans to meet the targets without using this option, but it can be used if it becomes “strictly necessary”. For Norway, the emissions in the two sectors are roughly the same: in 2019, they released around 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each .What happens if Norway does not reach the climate target? It could be politically embarrassing. A likely solution is that Norway chooses to pay for emission cuts in other countries. Norway can also be subject to sanctions if we do not reach the targets we have agreed with the EU. Norway must regularly report cuts to the UN, in line with the targets set in the Paris Agreement. Here, no sanctions are stipulated for those who do not fulfill their obligations. – The government is moving with mouse steps When the Storting dealt with the Energy Report in June, there was a majority in favor of the following six proposals (see below): Six proposals “The Storting asks the government to understand the energy effect and consequences for construction costs of tightening the requirement for energy-flexible heating, and assess how much the requirement can be tightened.” “The Storting is asking the government to sort out various arrangements with energy saving certificates in order to trigger targets to increase energy saving with the greatest possible effect.” “The Storting asks the government to consider relevant measures to help realize the potential for energy efficiency in existing buildings.” “The Storting asks the government to commission NVE to report annually on the status of achieving targets on energy saving in buildings.” “The Storting asks the government, in connection with the revised national budget 2023, to consider creating a trial scheme where craft businesses can receive support for skills development within energy measures.” “The Storting asks the government to clarify requirements that waste heat is used from processes that generate a lot of heat, for example industrial plants, waste incineration, data centers, hydrogen production and energy production facilities, where it is appropriate.” The Raudt party tells news that they lack a better response from the government on three of the points – number 1, 2 and 6. – We need stricter requirements in law and regulations for new construction and rehabilitation of buildings. The Storting’s austerity decision has been practiced for many years, now action is needed. We hope the government realizes that, says energy policy spokesperson for Raudt, Sofie Marhaug. In June, the construction industry called for stricter environmental requirements for itself, and blamed the government for “moving with mouse steps”. – The changes in the construction regulations are surprisingly defensive and do not follow up on the good ambitions of the Hurdalsplattforma, said Liv Kari Skudal Hansteen, who is the managing director of the Association of Consulting Engineers (RIF). On a global basis, the construction industry accounts for 40 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. In Norway around 15 per cent.
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The government’s measures to save electricity fail – news Vestland
