Projects

Project name 
World Bank Energy Efficient Cities Initiative:
Development of a Rapid Assessment Framework

Client 
The World Bank

Energy use and more specifically the efficiency of energy use at a city-scale is poorly understood in many low and middle income countries.  Recognising the need for improved tools and frameworks to help better understand energy use at a city scale and identify areas where significant energy efficiency gains may be made, the World Bank Energy Sector Management & Assistance Program commissioned Happold Consulting to prepare a Rapid Assessment Framework.

The Rapid Assessment Framework (RAF) is a central component of the World Bank’s Energy Efficient Cities Initiative (EECI) and will be a practical tool to help cities in developing countries to conduct a rapid assessment of their energy use, prioritize specific sectors for further investigation and suggest specific energy efficiency interventions.

Providing a quick ‘first cut’ analysis, the RAF will analyse data on energy efficiency in six sectors: transport, buildings, water/waste water, public lighting, solid waste, and power / heating. The RAF will consist of an ‘Analytical Tool’ to assess a city’s current energy efficiency profile and an ‘Energy Efficiency Options Tool’ to help city authorities (CA’s) decide, what actions to take to improve energy efficiency. The framework will be developed as a simple, low cost, user friendly and practical tool that can be applied in any socio-economic setting.

The RAF will also contain a ‘good practice’ component that provides a structured selection of examples of how to improve energy efficiency in a specific sector as well as examples of good city-wide energy efficiency practices from around the world. It is envisaged that the RAF will become a global framework that will allow for cross city comparison and sharing of best practices on energy saving initiatives in the six main sectors. 

Happold Consulting is leading on all aspects of the development of this innovative new tool in collaboration with partners at Columbia University’s Centre for Energy, Marine Transport and Public Policy, an internationally recognised centre of excellence in urban energy use, energy technologies and city-scale energy efficiency research. 

Partners 
Columbia University Center for Energy, Marine Transport and Public Policy