Energy efficiency and demand flexibility in companies: Potentials, approaches and synergies to contribute to the energy transition

Energy efficiency and demand flexibility are two key strategies to meet the challenges posed by the energy transition. The companies’ high share of total energy consumption suggests that these can make a contribution, but their potentials are still far from being exhausted. This thesis focuses on how companies can contribute to the energy transition by improving energy efficiency or via flexibility of demand and also involves the synergies between the two. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the analytical dimensions of organisational, technical, behavioural, economic and external factors are taken into account to identify target groups, success factors and potentials of energy efficiency and demand response measures in companies. Among the key achievements is a detailed estimation of demand response potentials in the service sector on the level of subsectors and appliances/end uses. The combination and comparison of different methodologies allows for the assessment of the deployable flexibility and the improvement of a modelling approach with empirical survey data on the willingness of companies to participate in demand response. The drivers for and barriers to energy efficiency have already been researched in detail and in-depth, but not so for demand response. The thesis has resulted in a comprehensive set of influencing factors for demand flexibility, comparable to existing typologies for barriers to energy efficiency. An analysis of established energy efficiency policies showed possibilities for transferring these to demand response and may thus lead to synergies of the two. The evaluation showed the dependencies between the influencing factors and possibilities of using flexibility, which need to be taken into account to assess and realize the potentials. Estimates of demand flexibility cannot be reduced to technical considerations. Especially the details of practical implementation regarding the acceptance of risking reduced comfort or interference with working processes need further research. Those findings would also allow a more precise estimation of economic aspects such as expected revenues. Existing experiences with energy efficiency can facilitate the readiness to use flexibility. Further non-energy benefits exist that can act as drivers to implement measures. A clear and harmonised regulation to make use of demand flexibility would be a precondition and major incentive to engage companies in demand response.