Energy consulting: A tool for inclusion?

Abstract

This case study was conducted within the framework of the Austrian task participation IEA User-Centred Energy Systems Empowering all: Gender equality for the energy transition and analyzes to what extent the instrument of company-independent energy consulting in Austria addresses different target groups and takes gender and diversity aspects into account. Energy efficiency, climate neutrality in heating and electricity consumption are relevant aspects for the implementation of the energy transition. In addition, longer-term cost reduction for energy use is increasingly relevant for consumers and households. In Austria, therefore, company-independent energy consulting is offered and required renovations are partially subsidized (Stadt Wien, 2022). From a gender and diversity perspective, the following questions arise in this context: Who can take advantage of energy consulting? Who benefits from energy consulting? Are gender aspects, migration, age and socio-economic factors, as well as the overlaps of mentioned aspects (intersectionality) taken into account? What should be considered in gender and diversity friendly energy consulting? What could be a suitable approach for gender- and diversity-friendly energy consulting? In order to answer these questions, results of the international literature on the aspect of inclusion in energy consulting were first compiled, which were used for the development of the guideline for the data collection tools and for the data analysis. Based on this, internet research on the implementation of company-independent energy consulting and its funding opportunities in Austria was conducted. The unanswered questions about the systematics and processes of energy consulting were answered in a semi-structured expert interview with a person who conducts energy consulting. The case study is structured as follows: First, essential terms are explained. Then, the relevance of the case study for Austria as well as the international state of research are presented. This is followed by the results of the research and the interview along the guiding themes and the discussion of the results. Finally, the results are summarized, and recommendations are elaborated.