Business Models in the context of carbon mitigation: New Questions and Approaches illustrated by the Example of Energy Performance Contracting in Germany

The German government has set ambitious climate protection targets to limit global warming. The goal is to achieve an energy efficient and almost climate-neutral building stock by 2050. This will require, among other actions, a reduction of the primary energy demand of buildings by up to 95% by the end of 2050. In order to achieve an almost climate-neutral building stock, measures for deep energy retrofit are required. In addition to an existing financial demand, there are additional barriers to the expansion of activities to improve the energy performance and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the existing building stock. One way to overcome these barriers are novel business models such as Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). The question arises as to whether and how the reduction of GHG emissions can be taken into account in the savings guarantees as they are typical for EPCs. This and other questions are addressed in the paper using conjoint analysis. Among other results, it is pointed out that specific approaches are required for different target groups such as the public sector and private homeowners. Finally, recommendations for further action are given. The presented partial results are drawn from the research work "Analysis of business models with regard to their potential for GHG reduction and energy efficiency of buildings"

New business models to support sustainable development: The case of energy-efficiency measures in buildings

The German government has set ambitious climate-protection targets to limit global warming. The aim is to achieve an energy-efficient and almost climate-neutral building stock by 2050. This applies particularly to buildings, responsible for more than 20% of CO2 emissions. The aim is to reduce the primary energy demand of buildings by 80% by the end of 2050. Achieving a nearly climate-neutral building stock requires targeted modernization measures that contribute to increasing energy efficiency. Barriers confronting the implementation of energy-efficient measures include lack of knowledge due to inadequate provision of information, lack of trust, and problems regarding financing possibilities. Therefore, solutions are needed for holistic concepts that make energy-efficient building and modernization more attractive. In addition to traditional business models (BM), measures that accelerate the implementation of energy-efficiency and BM that support the sustainable development of potential customers are sought. Expert knowledge must be shared to close information gaps; savings guarantees must be considered to build trust, and finally, financing possibilities must be available to support implementing sustainable measures. The research focuses on a modification of BM under the aspect of increasing energy efficiency in buildings for customers. This approach considers specific functions, effects, and benefits of BM. The aim of this extension is to create a basis for systematizing existing BM on the one hand, and on the other, to extend the proposed methodology. Finally, the developed guide supports startups designing new BM

Key action fields for nearly carbon-neutral districts: Stakeholder-specific strategies and practice

In accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, many countries aim at nearly zero carbon emissions of their building sector by 2050. The research college EnEff.Buildings.2050 is a collaboration of five PhD students and their supervisors to support this goal. In this paper, five key action fields for transformation of urban districts are described, and decisive stakeholders are identified and linked to the action fields. As a case study, the urban district Mierendorff-Island in Berlin is introduced. Three strategies to support transformation are identified: Firstly, new digital planning tools should be applied to assess and improve the energetic performance of new and existing buildings and to illustrate it to decision makers. Secondly, digital processes should be combined throughout the lifecycle of a building by building information modeling (BIM). This can ensure the energetic quality and enable cost-effective construction, servicing and monitoring. Thirdly, start-ups and contractors need support for development of new business models and technical solutions, which can e.g. enable disruptive technologies. Awareness of stakeholders on the transformational state of a district enables them to identify windows of opportunity to spring into action. Framework conditions and support measures determine if they act in favour of the transformation or not