Hayadan > State Comptroller: Israel is far from the goals it set for itself for energy efficiency

State Comptroller: Israel is far from the goals it set for itself for energy efficiency

According to the report published yesterday, in 2020 the rate of energy efficiency The expected rate of efficiency in electricity consumption in 2020 was 7.5% compared to a target of 20% set in 2008 * Only 2% of the buildings under construction received green building standard approval

Energy efficiency. Illustration: Image by kalhh from Pixabay

The State of Israel has committed, within the framework of international agreements, to participate in the global effort to achieve the goals included in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is according to a chapter dealing with energy efficiency in the State Comptroller's report 71 A published yesterday. This is only one of three chapters dealing with energy. The other two (which we will report on in separate news) deal with Israel's non-compliance in the requirements of the transition to alternative energies וIn the reduction of the R&D budget in the field of energy.

Israel's commitment was expressed, among other things, in setting goals for energy efficiency. To this end, the state enacted a law, established regulations and made several operative decisions that included the allocation of considerable budgets, but despite its efforts it was unable to meet the efficiency goals it had set for itself. In 2020, its energy efficiency rate was less than half of its target rate.

Energy efficiency is the key to ensuring a safe, reliable, cheap and clean future energy economy, contributing to cost savings, improving the quality of life, reducing air pollution and water sources, and on the national level - to reducing the economic burden and dependence on energy imports and promoting the energy independence of the Israeli economy. The audit report found, among other things, that although the energy efficiency target set in 2008 for 2020 was 20%, the actual reduction was only 7.5%.

The data shows that the estimated annual damage from greenhouse gas emissions in Israel in 2019 was 10.9 billion NIS. The expected rate of efficiency in electricity consumption in 2020 was 7.5% compared to a target of 20% set in 2008. It is true that Israel's energy efficiency target for 2030 is 17%.

The audit found that 47% of government offices did not report their energy consumption to the Ministry of Energy and 44% of local authorities did not report their electricity consumption to it in 2018, as required by law and regulations.

In the months of July 2019 to January 2020, the State Comptroller's Office examined the actions taken by government ministries to improve energy efficiency in the economy and to achieve the government's goals in this regard. Among other things, the state comptroller's office examined the efficiency in the electricity and transportation sectors, in the public sector, and the construction industry. The audit was carried out at the Ministry of Energy, the Israel Electric Company Ltd. (Hai), the Electricity Authority, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoE), the Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety (the Ministry of Transportation), the Israel Tax Authority (the Tax Authority), the Planning Administration, the Construction Ministry and housing, as well as in the Ministry of Finance - in the Budget Division (AGT) and the Accountant General Division (Hashkal).

The audit found that according to the energy efficiency goal established in 2008, the energy efficiency in 2020 will be achieved by reducing the predicted electricity consumption this year by 20% (expected consumption of 80 terawatt hours (TWh) to 62TWh). This target was not fully achieved so that the actual electricity consumption in 2020 was indeed reduced compared to the expected consumption, but remained higher than set in the target (and it is expected to be 74 TWh this year instead of 62 TWh as set in the target). In this way, the actual reduction was only 7.5%, instead of 20% as set as a target. In addition, in the aspects of the plan for energy efficiency, it was found that the reduction of electricity consumption in the years 2016-2030 does not include intermediate goals, budgets, indicators for control and monitoring of the degree of compliance with the goals.

In an examination of the smart meter project, it emerged that the rate of smart meters installed in Israel in 2019 was about 2.8% of all meters. The Ministry of Energy and the Electricity Authority did not determine from 2010 until the end of the audit if and how the smart share project would be promoted.

In addition, in the years 2015-2018 there was a 15% increase in the volume of private travel, while there was a 2% increase in public travel. Therefore, compliance with the goal of shifting 20% of private travel to public transportation by 2020 was not achieved. A plan prepared by the Ministry of Transportation to reduce private travel does not result in meeting the 20% reduction goal by 2030, and a strategic plan is required to develop complementary measures.

The audit also revealed that the Ministry of Energy and the Intelligence Division of the Ministry of Finance allocated, among other things, a budget of 500 million NIS for state-guaranteed loans for investment in projects for energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for ten years, but these have not yet been realized.

On the subject of energy consumption reporting, it was found that 47% of government offices and trust units did not report their energy consumption to the Ministry of Energy in 2018, and 44% of local authorities did not report their electricity consumption to the Ministry of Energy that year, which is not in accordance with what is required by law.

In addition, despite the benefit inherent in green construction, and even though implementing green construction at the beginning of the planning process is more worthwhile than renovating buildings, the extent of green construction in Israel remains small. In 2018, only 2% of the total housing units built received certification according to green standard 5281. It should be noted that in March 2020 the National Planning and Building Council decided to adopt the green building standard as a mandatory standard starting in 2021. Also, the planning bodies in the country did not have a consistent policy regarding the implementation of the standard Green construction in various programs that they have initiated, for example in the "Price for Housing" program, the standard was not adopted, on the other hand, the "Apartment for Rent" program requires compliance with the standard.

However, it was positively noted that in the electricity sector there was a decrease in GHG emissions from 59% of all emissions in 2000 to 55% in 2018, a reduction that results, among other things, from the transition to the use of natural gas instead of coal and diesel and that the 15th Forum encourages the planning of housing units in The 15 largest cities according to the green building standard.

Electricity demand forecasts for the years 2017-2030, according to various factors, compared to energy efficiency goals