OADD 2275 - Energy Efficiency Policies: Options and Updates

OADD 2275 · Spring semester 2025-2026

Language of tuition
English
Course type
Cours séminaire
Number of hours
24
Credits
6

Information

Description

This class will delve into energy efficiency policies and their implementation in the member states of the International Energy Agency. It will start with introductory lecture blocks on energy efficiency, presenting a detailed overview on strategies and policies, taking the European Union as focal case. Based on this, groups of students will work on research papers looking into the roll-out of energy efficiency policies. They will investigate specific aspects of policy implementation by synthesising and analysing recent deployments. The screening of policies and projects will be performed under the guidance of experts from the Energy Efficiency Office of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The group papers will be published as blog contributions on the webpage of Sciences Po’s European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Students will acquire in-depth knowledge about energy efficiency policies
  • Students will be able to contribute to the conception of clean energy policies
  • Students will train their capacity to transfer their theoretical knowledge to policy implementation practice.
  • Students will cooperate with policy practitioners from the Energy Efficiency Office of the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Professional Skills:

Self-management; project management; policy analysis and consulting; presenting and debating study outcomes.

Prerequisites

Interest in EU energy and climate policies.

Teaching format

  • Groups will work under the guidance of one professional from the IEA per group.
  • In line with the inverted class room format, groups will be regularly coached and directed by the professor to maximize their learning outcomes.

Assessment

(i) Mid-term exam (30%): Knowledge-saver exam (2 hrs) on content provided in the lecture sessions 1-3.

(ii) Final report (60%) and

(iii) Presentations of group results (mid-term and final; 10% of grade)

Workload

  • In Class Presence: 24 hours a semester (2 hrs kick-off; 2 hrs. mid-term presentation; 2 hrs. final presentation) plus meetings for coaching by professor
  • Exchange with professionals: 1 hour a week / 12 hours a semester

Readings

Main readings 4

  1. ● Economidou et al. (2020): Review of 50 years of EU energy efficiency policies for buildings. Energy and Buildings. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.110322

  2. ● European Parliament Research Service (2022): Energy saving and demand reduction. Briefing PE 733.666. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2022/733666/EPRS_BRI(2022)733666_EN.pdf

  3. ● European Parliament Research Service (2025): Energy efficiency. Fact Sheets on the European Union. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/fiches_techniques/2017/N54596/doc_en.pdf

  4. ● International Energy Agency (2025): Energy Efficiency 2025. Annual Market Report. https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-efficiency-2025

Further readings 5

  1. ● Economidou et al. (2022): Strategic energy and climate policy planning: Lessons learned from European energy efficiency policies. Energy Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113225

  2. ● European Commission (n.d.): Energy efficiency. Available at: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency_en

  3. ● Gonzalez-Torres, M. et al. (2023): Review of EU product energy efficiency policies: What have we achieved in 40 years? Journal of Cleaner Production. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138442

  4. ● Ringel, M. (2025): Is the updated Energy Efficiency Directive fit for purpose? A critical assessment based on replies from European stakeholders. Energy Research and Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104244

  5. ● Thematic briefings of the EP Research Service on several aspects of energy efficiency policies (see: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/research/advanced-search?textualSearch=energy+efficiency

Teaching units

Unit no.Unit type Teaching unitsTeachers Number of hoursCredits
55051Cours séminaire The Future of European Energy Efficiency Policies: Options and Updates Marc RINGEL246
57082— Energy Efficiency Policies: Options and Updates —680

Teachers

  • Marc RINGEL

In the curricula

Contacts and resources

Contact
SAMPAOLI Valentina