A holistic approach to understanding energy efficiency trends
ODYSSEE-MURE is a flagship EU project on energy efficiency. Its platforms work together to deliver a holistic approach towards understanding and analysing energy efficiency trends. Launched in 1993, it has been supported by the European Commission through multiple funding programmes, including SAVE, Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE), Horizon 2020 and, since 2022, LIFE. The initiative draws from two databases: Odyssee, which focuses on energy efficiency indicators and energy consumption, and Mure, which is dedicated to national policies and measures related to energy efficiency. Didier Bosseboeuf, scientific and technical advisor at France’s Environment and Energy Management Agency, explains: “Eurostat was not in a position to produce comparable information concerning energy efficiency at a detailed level of demand. Our project aimed to fill this gap through two main tools: energy efficiency indicators and the policies’ database.”
Core components
ODYSSEE-MURE’s standout feature is a treasure trove of detailed information on end-use demand data, energy efficiency indicators and policies. The granular level of detail enables users to analyse energy consumption patterns within specific sectors such as industry, transport and buildings. With policy briefs as well as country and sectoral profiles summarising key findings, policymakers gain valuable insights into successful energy efficiency policies implemented across different countries. But ODYSSEE-MURE isn’t just about collecting data, Knowledge sharing is another key component of the platform, with webinars conducted by experts in energy efficiency policy. These webinars created a global community of practitioners, enabling attendees to interact and gain deeper insights into emerging trends and best practices. “We aim to foster a collaborative European approach towards energy efficiency through open dialogue, data dissemination and analysis,” adds Bosseboeuf, who coordinated the project. “It’s a collaborative process, with teams in each country, from energy efficiency agencies, contributing to our success.” Country profiles are yet another valuable resource, with data extrapolated from the 27 EU Member States, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. This allows users to compare energy efficiency performance and policies across different countries and sectors. Policymakers and industry professionals can identify where improvements in energy efficiency can have the greatest impact against local and national standards. “The most interesting result is a European scoreboard on energy efficiency, allowing fair comparison of countries,” notes Bosseboeuf. “It’s a great way to open the debate on the differing results in each nation.”
Guided decision-making
ODYSSEE-MURE also provides indicators and policy evaluation tools that track progress and identify areas for improvement. It provides useful inputs for modellers to simulate scenarios and assess potential outcomes, so stakeholders can predict the effects of different policy measures, anticipate future energy needs and tweak resource allocation strategies. These evidence-based insights support the informed choices that positively impact Europe’s sustainable energy use. The project has created a powerful platform for the comprehensive analysis and monitoring of energy efficiency measures in Europe. Its methodology has been internationally recognised as best practice and replicated in more than 70 countries worldwide. Over more than 30 years, the scale of the project has been extended, and continues under the LIFE programme as OdysseeMure-fit-4-55, where it now covers a network of 34 organisations across the EU and nine energy community countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine).
Keywords
ODYSSEE-MURE, energy, efficiency, database, Odyssee, Mure, policy evaluation, monitoring, energy consumption, sharing
