Owing to the federal structures, a uniform M&V process is so far not established in Germany. The existing structures combine ad hoc verification and systematic monitoring based on national methods. These methods are linked closely to the ESD/EED methodology for tracking energy savings but are first and foremost adapted to national circumstances. A key feature of all M&V mechanisms in place is their emphasis on cost-effectiveness. Public authorities do not consider a seamless M&V system as an end in itself. Rather, costs and benefits are considered to make sure that programmes delivering the biggest amount of savings are monitored closely, whereas supporting measures are monitored in a looser way. This guarantees that the available resources are optimised and used for setting up and running policies and measures rather than establishing statistics.
Monitoring and Verification Schemes
Coordination Mechanisms
In terms of policy coordination, the traditional formal vertical and horizontal coordination of government layers used for law-making in Germany also strongly defines energy efficiency policies. Especially with the energy transition, additional informal coordination mechanisms occur that complement the formal mechanisms. As these informal mechanisms define informal coordination in a wider sense, including civil society at large, they might prove an interesting and effective instrument, which could serve as best practice for other countries.
Best practice cases have been identified under the following topics:
- Institutional and legal setting
- Involvement of regional and local authorities
- Other coordination fora and energy networks
- Policies redesign and access to data and information
Here is the full report on European best practices for M&V schemes and coordination mechanisms
