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1 Introduction
Today’s advanced conception of energy efficiency aims at warranting the services required by end
users by means of an effective fossile fuel consumption, which implies three concurrent targets:
• improving efficiency in the supply system;
A typical winter daily national load curve (Fig. 3) shows a peak to valley ratio of about 1.7, which
is suggestive as far as load shifting potential is concerned.
4.2 Residential
In the average an italian family of four persons consumes about 8 kWh of
electric energy per day, itemized as shown in Table 1, and could save about 10
- 15 % on the consumption of household appliances.
Moreover many improvements can be obtained as far as heating is concerned, giving the clients
information and advice to reduce energy consumption, via leaflets and Web site such as:
• choosing "A" rated appliances (such as fridges and washing machines);
• installing good insulation and heating controls;
• using condensing boilers
• using low energy light bulbs wherever possible
• moving furniture away from radiators, filling gaps with sealant, insulating the hot water tank
• fitting thermostatic radiator valves to administer heating
• adopting window panes with double glasses
Table 1 Share of electricity consumption by household appliances
Appliance Share of electricity consumption
Water boiler 20%
Refrigerator 18%
Lighting 15%
Washer 13%
Water boiler 11%
Dishwasher 4%
Electric oven 4%
Other appliances 15%
The above mentioned actions will be even more enforce following what envisaged by the Action
Plan for Energy Efficiency issued by the European Commision on Ocotber 19 2006.
The Commission will begin, in 2007, the process of adopting minimum energy performance
standards (eco-design requirements) in the form of implementing Directives for 14 priority product
groups including boilers, water heaters, consumer electronics, copying machines, televisions,
standby modes, chargers, lighting, electric motors and other products, in accordance with the time
table shown in Fig. 5.
These Directives will also include, to the possible extent, indications of future requirements, e.g., 5
years later, in order to prepare manufacturers for the new requirements in the design cycle.
The Commission will ensure that appropriate measuring methods will be developed on time through
CEN/CENELEC or other appropriate means. Products that do not meet the agreed minimum
requirements may not be put on the market.
Figure 5 UE Directive implementation time table
4.3 Renewables
4.3.1 Biomass
ACEA is involved in the development of a 5 MWe CHPP fueled by wooden material residues.
Since 65,000 ton/yr will be approximately required, a back-up from wooden material supplied by
Italian traders will be provided. District heating (along with air cooling in summer by means of
absorption chillers) will mainly concern the nearby buildings, but could eventually be extended to
other users. Table 2 summarizes the main characteristics of the plant.
The CHPP, which should be in operation by 2009, is to be considered as a first step in the ACEA
plan to seize all the existing opportunities, also with reference to:
• the availability of low cost biomass produced by Short Rotation Forestry technology;
• the development of biomass gassifiers whose output purity fits the specifications required by
Diesel engines, so as to lower the size of cogeneration plants having biomass as a primary
energy source.
4.3.2 Photovoltaic
As a first step to have ACEA acquainted with PV technology, a 49.3 kWp system (Table 3) is being
installed on the roof of a building within the frame of the first Decree providing incentives for PV
technology.
Table 3 Main characteristics of the PV system
The additional incentives for renewables included in the 2007 Budget Act (see above) include a rule
for new buildings, which will have to install at least 0.2 kWp per each dwelling unit, and the alike
Rome municipality prescriptions for new housings are opening an interesting market, Acea is
getting ready for, having in mind to cover a relevant share of the future market of PV equipped
buildings, which as an electric distributor will make their integration in the distribution network
easier.
The focus on PV applied to buildings is leading ACEA to investigate the potential of the thin film
technology which, besides promising sensitive cost reductions, can more easily integrated on
building surfaces. As a matter of fact it allows production of modules:
• having chromatic uniformity
• having variable shape and/or size
• being transparent, if required
• even being flexible.
to achieve:
• aesthetically agreeable configurations
• efficient thermal and acoustic insulations
• effective wet seals
• water and snow tightness.
Within the above mentioned strategy some applications of PV thin films to buildings are
foreseen in the near future as a step towards a more comprehensive commitment in that
field.
5 Conclusions
The report gives an overview of options which can be undertaken by an energy utility to contribute
to energy saving.
The regulatory framework is of course a prime factor to promote and support the improvement of
energy efficiency, however, to be fully exploited, it requires the involvement of many operators,
among which the energy utility can be of great importance.
The electricity distributor has also significant options to save energy in its own trade and specific
focus has been given to the potential of remote network control and meter management systems, of
public lighting technologies and of diffused generation, to achieve energy efficiency goals.