The Ministry of KGG has asked CE Delft to investigate whether norming based on actual energy consumption could be a good (voluntary) alternative to the current energy savings obligation. With norming based on actual energy consumption, the maximum permissible energy consumption for a company or institution is prescribed.
The research question we have answered is:To what extent can norming based on actual energy consumption become part of the energy savings obligation, and what are the most promising variants to achieve this?
We conclude that it is possible to set a standard for energy use per square meter in the service sector, enabling norming based on actual energy consumption. However, it is only desirable to introduce this if it aligns with the implementation of the new European Directive on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD IV). We see no possibilities for norming based on actual energy consumption in the industrial sector due to the large variations in processes and products across individual companies within the industry.
This study is part of the Parliamentary letter on the state of energy savings | Parliamentary Document | Government of the Netherlands (only available in Dutch), dated 25 June 2025.