Ahead of the European Commission’s second Strategic Energy Review, Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has said that key elements of its energy efficiency legislative framework will be revised and improved in the new plans.

“Improving energy efficiency is still the most cost-effective means of reducing emissions – emissions standards for cars (currently being strengthened), labelling regimes, eco-design minimum efficiency standards, and energy efficiency codes for buildings,” he said in an address to renewables meeting in London this week.

Piebalgs also reiterated that he believed that the Commission’s 20-20-20 targets – 20% renewable energy, 20% greenhouse gas emissions reductions and 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020 – are feasible.

As much as 34% of the region’s electricity could come from renewable sources, he said, with wind taking a lion’s share of 12%. However, strong growth in combined heat and power and solar installations are to be expected he said – particularly if the costs of solar power declines by 50% by 2020 as expected.

Key in realising Europe’s target are streamlining planning and ensuring grid access for renewable electricity.

“We already have a legal framework for this, but it doesn’t appear to be strong enough or its implementation adequate enough,” said Piebalgs.

To reach Europe’s 20-20-20 targets, electricity from renewables is going to have to grow substantially and barriers arising from intermittency of supply and distributed generation will have to be overcome, he added.

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