Services industriels Lausanne (SiL)

Evaluation of an energy saving program and support in the development of a strategy for energy renovation of buildings

Context

The Services Industriels de Lausanne (SiL) provide energy to the Lausanne metropolitan area. Launched in 2016 by the City of Lausanne, the Equiwatt program, implemented by SiL, promotes energy efficiency by targeting individuals, businesses, and property owners through a series of around fifteen action plans. As of the first half of 2024, the program has enabled energy savings equivalent to the electricity consumption of 4,500 households and the heating consumption of 2,500 households.

Challenge

In 2022, the Municipality of Lausanne sought to strengthen “Equiwatt” to support the implementation of the City’s Climate Strategy. It set the goal of doubling the energy savings targets for the new period and expanding the scope of the program, particularly in relation to the incentives for building renovation outlined in the Climate Strategy. A request for additional funding from the municipality led to a call for an external evaluation of the 2016-2021 period by the municipal council to ensure the program’s effectiveness and efficiency.

Solution and methodology

Two workstreams were carried out in parallel:

1. An evaluation of six priority incentive actions as well as the program as a whole, including:
   • The creation of impact models and the application of the theory of change
   • Qualitative surveys with the SiL team, partners, and program beneficiaries
2. Support in the development of new energy renovation incentive plans for buildings, including:
   • An analysis of barriers and levers related to building energy renovation, conducted with the target audience and domain experts
   • A consultation workshop involving key stakeholders
   • A quantitative and qualitative impact assessment, along with a comparison of the different incentives suggested.

“The work carried out by dss+ provided us with an accurate and comprehensive evaluation, useful both internally and externally to our organization, as well as well-founded recommendations, several of which have been or are being implemented. Clear and effective, the methodology applied engaged the people involved in a relevant and pleasant manner.”

Baptiste Antille
Head of the Energy Policy Division, SiL

Assignment

Evaluation of the Equiwatt program and support in the development of a strategy for energy renovation of buildings

Offering

• Evaluation of a public policy in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and coherence, with recommendations for improvement.
• Comparative analysis of new incentive plans, considering their feasibility, cost, and potential impact.

Impact

• Strengthening the legitimacy of an energy saving program in the context of climate emergency.
• Implementation of the recommendations made during the evaluation, leading to energy savings and improved efficiency of the program.
• Engagement of stakeholders in the development of new incentive plans for building renovation.