Energy Efficiency in buildings in the Baltic states and the Nordic countries

Abstract: Improving energy efficiency in buildings is widely viewed as a cost-effective way of achieving climate and energy goals. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) aims to enhance the energy performance of new buildings and increase the renovation rate of energy-inefficient older buildings in the European Union. This study evaluates the effects of regulatory instruments on actual energy savings in countries across the Baltic Sea region, with a focus on residential buildings in Sweden and Lithuania. Specifically, Paper [I] estimates the effects of building codes on energy savings for newly constructed multi-apartment buildings in Sweden. Paper [II] evaluates the effects of retrofit programmes on realized dynamic energy savings for old Soviet-era multi-apartment buildings in Lithuania. Connecting with Paper [II], Paper [III] measures the energy performance gap—the discrepancy between actual energy savings and engineer-predicted savings for multi-apartment buildings in Lithuania. In Paper [IV], the focus turns from energy efficiency to inflation issues. Given the recent developments of high inflation and energy prices, the paper explores the relationship between energy price inflation and inflation expectations in Sweden.