A significant push is underway in the European Union to make new buildings and major renovation "nearly zero energy" by 2021. While less than 1% of existing space is nearly zero energy today, the percentage of new buildings and major renovations meeting this goal will increase quickly over the next several years. At the center of this initiative are the energy service companies (ESCOs), who play a large role in the energy efficiency industry in Europe. A new report from Pike Research forecasts that the increased focus on energy efficient buildings will lead to significant expansion of the ESCO market, which the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts will increase from $11.9 billion (€8.5 billion) in revenue in 2010 to $18.4 billion (€13.2 billion) by 2016, representing a 7.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
"The ESCO business is evolving quickly in Europe," says industry analyst Levin Nock. "This group of companies will be extremely important to the implementation of the European Union's vision for energy efficient buildings. The goals may be driven by mandates, but many of them will be executed by the ESCOs."
Nock adds that currently, less than 1% of Europe's 30 billion square meters of building space is green-certified. However, over the next several years, green building certification will more than triple, with certified space reaching 687 million square meters by 2016.
Pike Research's analysis finds that up to this point, most energy efficiency programs in Europe have focused on residential and public buildings. The largest energy efficiency markets are in Germany and France, comparable to the combined market of the rest of Europe. In Germany, half the cities require Passive House construction in new public buildings. And although most ESCO activity is in public buildings, large ESCOs and construction companies have barely started adopting Passive House methodology, which will represent a significant change to their operations in the next few years.
Pike Research's report, "Energy Efficient Buildings: Europe", examines market conditions and emerging opportunities related to energy efficiency for buildings in Europe. The study includes in-depth, country-level analysis of public policy and regulatory issues, energy service companies, performance contracting, green building certification, and the economics and financing structures behind energy efficiency retrofits. Key industry players are profiled and market forecasts, segmented by country, extend through 2016. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm's website.
Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The company's research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Smart Grid, Smart Transportation, Smart Industry, and Smart Buildings sectors.
source: Pike research
