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High-efficiency buildings do not only save energy but also have multiple further impacts or co-benefits. These impacts are often excluded from the policy evaluation partly because their quantification and integration into cost-evaluations have challenges. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to develop a method to quantify labour productivity which is one of the key multiple impacts, as well as demonstrate the use of the method for calculating the productivity impacts of high-efficiency buildings. The paper uses Germany and Hungary as examples to conduct the quantifications. The result of the study shows that high-efficiency buildings can result in substantial health and labour productivity benefits. Concretely, a German worker can gain 5.2 productive days a year, while a Hungarian 2.2 days by avoiding sick days, after living in high-efficiency buildings. Similarly, through high-efficiency retrofits or high-efficiency new constructions in the tertiary building sector, German and Hungarian workers can gain 2.4 and 1 productive days a year, respectively, by avoiding sick days. The monetary equivalent of the total number of days gained would be as high as 337 million and 7 million Euros/year only from the residential building sector, and 398 million and 3 million Euro/year from the tertiary building sector for Germany and Hungary respectively. In addition to the productive workdays gain, by avoiding mental stress, the German and Hungarian workforce can gain 95 and 2 million Euro respectively in a year by improving work performance from working in high-efficiency tertiary buildings. Furthermore, this paper shows that along with more workdays and improved work performance, both Germany and Hungary can gain 1870 and 3849 healthy life years/million population which is equivalent to 277 and 134 million Euros per year respectively. The findings of this study would provide a strong motivation to the policymakers to design policies that promote construction and renovation of buildings at the passive-house or NZEB standards. The substantial productivity impacts of high-efficiency buildings can be an entry-point for the policymakers as any policy that promote high-efficiency buildings would fit in well in the multi-objective policy framework of the European Union. • High-efficiency buildings can obtain substantial health and productivity benefits. • A novel methodological approach to quantify labour productivity is demonstrated. • High-efficiency buildings result in more active workdays by minimizing health risk. • Substantial monetary gain can be obtained from the productivity benefits. • Findings can motivate policies to implement more high-efficiency buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with possibilities of targeting energy efficiency potentials in German companies by delivering information and support within a cooperative management system “Learning Energy Efficiency Networks” (LEEN). Information deficits are pointed out as a relevant barrier to implementing energy efficiency measures in literature that can be aimed at by energy programmes such as audits. Our concept combines aspects of cooperation, shared experiences and moderated learning processes. The programme sought to go beyond the sole provision of consultation, by qualifying companies to decide and act on implementing energy efficiency measures by delivering the individual practical know-how they need. After having analysed evaluation data of several hundred companies, our results show that the participants were mainly motivated by the need for practical knowledge and specific information. The networks could well satisfy this need. The benefit for the participants in such delivered information was also reflected in the decreasing of the barrier of imperfect information and the programme enabled companies to make informed decisions on energy efficiency measures. But the gain of the programme was not solely restricted on an increase in knowledge: The majority of participants reported implementation of suggested measures, which would not have been implemented without the programme. Hence, LEEN can be indicated as a policy instrument enabling informed decisions on efficiency measures and supporting their implementation. Possibly tailoring the programme to different target groups and aiming at dismantling other barriers directly in addition to tackling information deficits could be undertaken to improve the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency retrofits are often impeded by high perceived investment risks, long payback periods and a lack of skills. At the municipal level these issues are particularly pronounced as procuring, implementing, and managing retrofits can exceed existing municipal governance capacities. The diffusion of municipal LED street lighting as a replacement for conventional lighting serves as an example. This paper argues that technological (e.g. complexity and maturity), economic (e.g. selling services vs. products and financing costs), institutional (e.g. property situation and contracts) and competency barriers to retrofitting (e.g. lack of measurement capacity and qualified facilitators) translate into transaction costs. We develop a taxonomy of appropriate modes of municipal retrofitting governance based on transaction costs economics. The findings indicate that more market-based solutions, energy performance contracts in particular, can facilitate the procurement of innovative energy efficiency retrofitting solutions and associated investments among municipalities if neutral tenders, open-book accounting, municipal ownership and intermediary organisations allow municipalities to choose appropriate governance structures for particular technologies and retrofits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]