2014 pdf digital newsletter april 2014

© PDF _ DIGITAL NEWSLETTER – APRIL 2014 • EYE CATCHER: Joint call on Primeray Energy Conversion Factor • EUROPEAN NEWS [Directive/Project] • SECTOR RELATED NEWS • FUTURE EVENTS: AIE Council 2014 Slovenia | SAVE THE DATE(s) 2014 • PUBLICATIONS [Position Papers/Press Release]

01_Eye catcher: Joint call to the Commission and alliance of 8 European associations regarding the Primary Energy Conversion Factor Up to 8 European Associations responded positively to the initiative of AIE last November to share their concerns regarding the use of conversion factors for electricity, in EU energy and climate policy. On 26 February a joint letter undersigned by 8 European Associations (AIE, CECED ‐ European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers, ECI ‐ European Copper Institute, EUEW ‐ European Union of electrical Wholesalers, EURELECTRIC – Union of the Electricity Industry, EHPA ‐ Electric Underfloor Heating Association, NHO ‐ Confederation of Norwegian Enterprises) was sent to the Director general of DG Energy. In the meantime the letter has received positive support from at least 3 member States, Belgium, Denmark and Finland. The letter clearly explains why the current use of Primary energy conversion Factors as a tool/instrument leads to ‐ Contradictions with current EU energy and climate objectives and their instruments e.g. RES and the EU ETS ‐ Inconsistencies with the realization of the internal market for electricity and gas As a consequence, this leads to contradictions between the incorrect value for electric solutions e.g. the electrification of transport and heating/cooling, the ambitions/objectives of the EU’s energy and climate policy. In addition it creates a distortion of the demand side of the market as the consumers are being misled in fuel choice and their consumption is no longer based on price signals but instead on wrong parameters. Moreover consumers might chose less efficient appliances only because they rank better on a label based on primary energy. Furthermore other initiatives to promote intelligent networks, smart cities, electricity storage, CCS will be undermined. The signatories of the letter hope the Commission acknowledges the problems identified and would appreciate an appropriate forum for discussion. The joint letter can be found here

02_European news [Directives / Projects] 02‐01: THE EU'S 2030 GOALS FOR CLIMATE AND ENERGY The EU’s 2030 climate and energy framework package was presented on 22 January 2014 as a successor to the three 20‐20‐20 targets of 20% greenhouse gas cuts, improvements in energy efficiency and renewable energy market penetration, all by 2020. The energy efficiency goal is non‐binding and remains the only one the EU is not on track to meet. The targets must be met if the EU is to keep its promise to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80‐95% by 2050. The key elements of the 2030 policy framework set out by the Commission are as follows: 1. A binding greenhouse gas reduction target: A centre piece of the EU’s energy and climate policy for 2030, the target of a 40% emissions reduction below the 1990 level would be met through domestic measures alone. The Commission invites the Council and the European Parliament to agree by the end of 2014 that the EU should pledge the 40% reduction in early 2015 as part of the international negotiations on a new global climate agreement due to be concluded in Paris at the end of 2015. 2. An EU‐wide binding renewable energy target of 27%: Renewable energy will play a key role in the transition towards a competitive, secure and sustainable energy system. Driven by a more market‐ oriented approach with enabling conditions for emerging technologies, an EU‐wide binding target for renewable energy of at least 27% in 2030 comes with significant benefits in terms of energy trade balances, reliance on indigenous energy sources, jobs and growth. An EU‐level target for renewable energy is necessary to drive continued investment in the sector. However, it would not be translated into national targets through EU legislation, thus leaving flexibility for Member States to transform the energy system in a way that is adapted to national preferences and circumstances. Attainment of the EU renewables target would be ensured by the new governance system based on national energy plans (see below). 3. Energy efficiency: No consideration of any new energy efficiency target until after a June 2014 review of the Energy Efficiency Directive. The Commission will consider the potential need for amendments to the directive once the review has been completed. Member States’ national energy plans will also have to cover energy efficiency. 4. Reform of EU ETS: The Commission proposes to establish a market stability reserve at the beginning of the next ETS trading period in 2021. 5. A set of new indicators to ensure a competitive and secure energy system. The Commission proposes a set of key indicators to assess progress over time and to provide a factual base for potential policy response. Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said: "The 2030 framework is the EU's drive for progress towards a competitive low‐carbon economy, investment stability and security of energy supply. My aim is to make sure that energy remains affordable for households and companies. The 2030 framework sets a high level of ambition for action against climate change, but it also recognises that this needs to be achieved at least cost. The internal energy market provides the basis to achieve this goal and I will continue to work on its completion in order to use its full potential. This includes the 'Europeanisation' of renewable energy policies". Energy prices have risen in nearly every Member State since 2008 – mainly because of taxes and levies, but also due to higher network costs. The comparison with international partners highlights rising price differentials, notably with US gas prices – which could undermine Europe's competitiveness, particularly for

energy intensive industries. Nevertheless, rising energy prices can be partly offset by cost effective energy and climate policies, competitive energy markets and improved energy efficiency measures, such as using more energy‐efficient products. > Next steps EU leaders held a first policy debate on a framework for climate and energy policies for the 2020‐2030 period. They agreed that a final decision on the future framework should be reached by October 2014 at the latest. The UN's secretary‐general Ban Ki‐Moon has called on EU leaders to set an example and agree on an ambitious 2030 target at a Council Summit in June, that can be taken to a UN conference in Lima three months later, and shape a global, legally‐binding treaty by the end of 2015.

02‐02: PUBLIC CONSULTATION: PROGRESS TOWARDS THE 2020 ENERGY EFFICIENCY OBJECTIVE AND A 2030 ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY FRAMEWORK This consultation is part of the assessment of progress towards the 2020 energy efficiency objective required under Article 3(2) of the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU. It is also a follow‐up to the Communication “A policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030” (see supra). The EU has set itself an energy efficiency target for 2020: 20% energy savings compared to projections. It has defined what this means at EU level: energy consumption of no more than 1483 Mtoe primary energy and 1086 Mtoe final energy. At national level, Member States have set themselves indicative national targets. EU measures have been adopted covering the energy efficiency of products, buildings, power and heat generation and supply and information/incentives/financing for efficiency among citizens and businesses. In order to consider the likely shortfall the EU is making towards its 2020 target as well as to consider the 2030 perspective and what necessary policies and/or appropriate measures need to be put in place, the Commission will use the responses to this consultation exercise as an important input to that assessment. The consultation runs until the 28th of April and the members of the AIE Task Force Energy are invited to contribute to the AIE response. > AIE member associations can also contribute individually to the consultation here.

02‐03: NEW EU RULES ON ENERGY FUNDING PHASE OUT SUBSIDIES FOR RENEWABLES Funding green energy will become harder under EU rules published on 9 April designed to replace subsidies with market‐based schemes, just when the Ukraine crisis has heightened the need for alternatives to imported fossil fuel. The European Commission said the guidelines, which will be gradually phased in, strike a necessary balance after fierce political debate about the cost of green subsidies. The rules take effect from July 1 this year and from 2017 all member states will have to hold tenders to support new green power facilities following a pilot phase from 2015‐16.

The idea is to replace feed‐in tariffs, which have little or no relation to market reality but have spurred renewable development, with auctions or bidding processes open to all green energy generators competing equally for government funds. Following extensive lobbying from companies, the new rules allow for exemptions in special circumstances, including sparing energy‐intensive industries such as chemicals, metals, paper and ceramics from helping to pay for renewable power. That leaves ordinary household consumers to pick up the bill. The European Union's leading economy, Germany, has the biggest interest in the new rules as it seeks to enact its Energiewende, or shift from nuclear to green fuel. This week, the German government reached a compromise deal that leaves Berlin with scope to set special rules for individual sectors. Even with the changes, the German government expects its renewable sector to grow as technological improvements make sources such as wind and solar more competitive. Renewable power already accounts for 25 percent of Germany's electricity and the German government has set targets to increase the share to 40‐45 percent by 2025. The 28‐country European Union as a whole has a target to get 20 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2020, which it is likely to achieve. After that, the picture is less clear. Debate is ongoing about a 2030 target of 27 percent across the EU (see supra).

02‐04: NEW EU PUBLIC PROCUREMENT RULES PUBLISHED IN THE EU OFFICIAL JOURNAL The three new EU Directives on public procurement, utilities procurement and concession contracts were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 28 March 2014 and will come into force on 17 April 2014. The new Directives are published in the EU Official Journal and are available here. Member States now have until 17 April 2016 to implement the Directives into national law. Public procurement: ‘Digitisation’ of public procurement: new rules on e‐invoicing On 11 March 2014, the European Parliament approved the European Commission's proposal to modernise EU rules on e‐invoicing in public procurement. The Directive introduces the development of a new European standard for electronic invoicing, ensuring interoperability between national systems. Small businesses will benefit the most from the new procedure because legal uncertainty, as well as other additional costs will be eliminated and it will increase transparency in public procurement procedures. Next, the Directive will be formally adopted by the Council and then published in the Official Journal of the EU. > To read more on e‐invoicing in public procurement, please click here.

03_ Sector related news AIE ACTIVITIES 03‐01: AIE TECHNICAL EXPERTS PRESENT @ LIGHT AND BUILDING Both the members of the AIE Technical task force and the Policy Coordination Committee were present at the Light and Building exhibition and held internal meetings on 1 April. The Technical Task Force had the pleasure to welcome Maria Hasselman, Director of Light and Building at their meeting who introduced the main theme of Light and Building in 2014 ‘Explore Technology for Life’ and the top subjects 2014: 1. intelligent sustainability: The dynamic and intelligent digitalisation of light, reducing energy consumption through intelligent building‐services technology at the same time as increasing comfort levels 2. Smart powered building – buildings in the smart grid: Intelligent energy management for decentralised energy‐supply systems, Smart grid, smart metering, System networks and integration for an intelligent control system, Building information management (BIM), Building safety (especially fire prevention) 3. People and light: The effect of light on people, Light and health, Lighting design, Effective lighting control with the aid of software Beyond this most interesting exchange, the experts discussed some important upcoming standards as the prEN 50491‐6‐2 'Inspecting, testing and commissioning HBES' and the on‐going work in TC 64. The Task Force decided to work on the initiative of EU lighting strategy and to draft an AIE position in the framework of the eco‐design Directive study on power cables. Next meeting of the Technical Task Force is scheduled on 10 October kindly hosted by SELECT in Scotland. The AIE President and Policy Coordination Committee were also actively participating and present at the Light and Building Exhibition in Frankfurt, meeting and networking with peer colleagues. •

The members of the PCC received a report on the on‐going EU policy issues and discussed some internal matters, after which they shared a presentation on E‐learning system in Germany « Multimedia apprenticeships and further training careers » • Janne Skogberg had the privilege to open the KNX awards event attended by more than 1.500 people, by handing over the first price to the winner in the category KNX International – Europe.

ON‐GOING AIE ACTIVITIES 03‐02: EDUCATION AND TRAINING SURVEY AMONGST THE AIE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS Education and training is and will continue to be a hot topic on the European scene for the construction sector in general and especially for the installers. The outcome of the EU Build Up skills reveals e.g. that 4 to 4.4 mo workers need to be trained in the construction sector. Times are changing, moving from products to systems and installation services, technologies are increasingly rapidly developing… Therefore the AIE decided to hold an internal inquiry on the training and skills needs/perspectives in the electrical contracting sector. Are the qualification and skills of the installers up‐to‐date, does the training match the needs, what are the future trends and challenges regarding training in the electrical sector? The answers will help us to benchmark and have an overall view on the sector training. Input and contribution are expected at the latest by the end of April 2014!! The answers will then be analysed and eventually completed with individual phone calls. !!! The outcome of the survey will be presented in September at a strategic workshop in the framework of AIE’s annual Council of Delegates.

03‐03: SUCCESSFUL SESSION ON COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO BE REPEATED Further to a most successful meeting amongst General Secretary on information and communication strategy between AIE and its members, but also on the use of social media in associations (European or national), a similar meeting is proposed for the national communication managers in May or June. The aim is to explain the interactive communication possibilities between AIE and its member associations and what possibilities of exchanging information do exist on the AIE website to search information or promote national activities or campaigns. Kindly contact Carla Cox at info@aie.eu to join the Doodle invitation for the next meeting and/or communication group for future meetings.

03‐04: AIE POSITIONS IN THE PIPELINE Currently AIE is preparing its position on the EU consultation on the Progress towards the 2020 energy efficiency objective and a 2030 energy efficiency policy framework, on the EU Lighting Strategy initiative and the eco‐design study regarding power cables. People interested in these topics can always express themselves and contact us at eschellekens@aie.eu

04_ Future events http://www.aie.eu/aie/page/Events Please don’t forget to take a look on the AIE website for future AIE meetings in 2014.

04‐01 NEXT COUNCIL OF DELEGATES – PORTOROZ – SLOVENIA 11‐14 SEPTEMBER 2014 We warmly thank President of governing board and vice president of OZS (Obrtno podjetniška Zbornica Slovenije) Mr. Branko Meh of the Chamber of craft and small business and Mr. Andrej Počivavšek, President and chairman of governing board of the Section of electro companies to host the next AIE Council of Delegates in enchanting Portorož, Slovenia. The next Council of Delegates will be warmly hosted by Slovenia from the 11th till the 14th of September 2014. We already give you a glance at some mighty views that you will get while visiting our Council of Delegates next autumn when temperatures in Portorož can still be in the 20 to 25 degrees… Together with our associated member EZS, Elektrotehniška zveza Slovenije, the Electrotecnical Association of Slovenia, Mr Rudi Zorko and Mrs Valentina Melkić, the AIE secretariat is preparing all last practical details and the web pages and registration will be open soon, together with the invitations and the program brochure sent in due time.

04‐02 SAVE THE DATE(S) 2014:

State of play: • Teun Bokhoven, President of the Dutch Renewable Energy Federation, is Conference General Chairman of the 29th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition © AIE | DIGITAL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2014 7

The 29th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2014) taking place from 22 to 26 September 2014 at RAI Convention and Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, will be chaired by Teun Bokhoven. The five‐day Conference is complemented by the three‐day Exhibition, held from 23 to 25 September 2014. “The Netherlands is happy and proud to host this major global solar event. It underlines the importance of photovoltaics for building a sustainable energy future; not only in the Sunbelt, but everywhere, including this country which is so well‐known for its windmills. This conference is a strong support for our ambition to be in the top league of PV science, technology and deployment. Photovoltaics combines the major opportunities for a clean energy system and a greener economy” Teun Bokhoven stated when accepting to be the Conference General Chairman. • EU PVSEC 2014: Call for Papers Receives Great Response 9 More than 1,500 contributions apply for presentation in Amsterdam 9 Scientists, engineers and practitioners from Photovoltaic research institutions and industry will present future PV developments 9 Submissions from 73 countries 9 Global response: 50% of the contributions submitted by experts from other continents 9 Particular strong response: Topics on operations, performance and reliability of PV 9 Exhibition will show latest trends in PV technology & equipment About 50% of the contributions have been submitted from countries outside Europe, confirming the trend towards further internationalisation. As has been the case in previous years, the largest number of abstracts continues to be from researchers and engineers in Germany. The Asia / Pacific region accounts for around 25% of the proposals, underscoring its strong position within the global marketplace. In addition, more abstracts than ever have been submitted from emerging markets from around the world, particularly from Africa, a demonstration of increasing commitment to photovoltaic solar energy. … The Conference program will be published in May this year. It is coordinated by the European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre. > Download both press releases within the AIE web pages: Chairman | Abstracts © AIE | DIGITAL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2014 8

04‐03: EU UROSKILLS 2 2014 LILLE | FRANCE – 2 2‐4.10.2014 Preparationss have started d in the Frencch city of Lillee for the Euro oSkills 2014 co ompetition scheduled to t take plaace from 2 to 4 October O 2014 4! More info on: http://www.euroskills.orgg The AIE dele egates unaniimously apprroved duringg the EU Insttallers Summ mit at their statutory me eeting to joiin WorldSkillls Europe [W WSE] as ‘asso ociate memb ber’ and to integrate thee AIE CYE in th he WorldSkills Europe com mpetition fram mework. t AIE Secre etariat (info@ @aie.eu) or the Contact the WorldSkills Europe secretariat Gen neral Secretaary Thom te er Stege att (terstege@ @euroskills.orrg) should yo ou wish contaact details on n your nation nal Skills team m. Keep a close eye on the Euroskills‐CYE Blog or Facebookk for more futture program details.

> http:///aie‐cye.bloggspot.be/ > More e event news?? Double che eck: Other EEuropean events

05_ Pu ublicationss – check n new AIE an nd related publications at our liibrary on ISSSUU AIE memb bers and othe er related orgganisations fro om the electrrical value chaain are invited to inform u us on interesting articles, bro ochures, scien ntific reports that can be aadded to our AIE online ISSSUU Library! European A Association of Electrical Contracctors “ELECTRICITTY SURROUNDS US – TOUCHES EVERY ONE OF US, EVERY DAY,, EVERYWHERE. t European Association A of ele ectrical contractting companies - represents thrrough its 20 nattional member Who we arre: The AIE – the associationss about 175,000 specialist contra acting companiess employing abou ut 1,000,000 worrkers in the EU-ccountries and be eyond. The AIE represents companies c from all sizes, the big g majors and a majority m of small and medium sizze enterprises [S SME]. AIE memb ber companies have an in-depth knowledge and high-quallity expert skills to carry out all kind of electrica al engineering and a infrastructure e works [high, d low voltage]. Th he overall turnovver of the sector is approximately 75 billion Euros.. medium and Monitoring the t EU agenda/Directives releva ant for the electrical sector, the AIE points out the key strategies and main prriorities for the modern electrical contracto or. With the incrreasing complexxity of technicall installations, th he private consumer and housse owners are becoming more m and more dependent d on the e knowledge and d creativity of th he electrical conttractor. He is an expert adviser who is able to explain to th he client the pos ssibilities and ad dvantages of new technology in a technical and d environmental way. Kindly visit our website: www.aie.eu or contact us at info@aie.eu.

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