Barriere allo sviluppo dell’efficienza energetica. Una nuova lettura dell’energy efficiency gap e alcune proposte manageriali e di policy

Several academic studies and industry reports have addressed energy efficiency, pointing out the existence of an energy efficiency gap, i.e. a gap between actual and optimal energy use. This situation, which affects firms’ competitiveness, may be explained by a number of barriers to the adoption of energy efficiency technologies and management practices. Specifically, technical barriers and financial barriers often prevent firms from undertaking energy efficiency investments. Based on a wider research project promoted by ENEA, this paper intends to explore how Italian firms perceive these barriers and to propose some possible solutions to reduce the energy efficiency gap. Both managerial and policy implications are addressed, thus providing a new interpretation of the energy efficiency gap.