CHAPTER 5:

From National Practices towards EU Comparable Methodology: Suggestions

ÍNDEX

Content

1Objectives

2Structure of the chapter

3Contents

4Interaction with other Manual chapters

Planning and Studies Department

IDAE

Version: 23/06/2012

1Objectives

This chapter is one of the most relevant ones of the Manual, having as objective to reflect the results of the Task 2.3, which consists of defining methodological operations to suggest the MMSS so that they can use them depending on their situation, as far detailed energy statistics of the household sector are concerned, in a way that the result can be comparable energy statistics at European level.

On the other hand, in this chapter, two main aspects will be established in order to determine a common methodology to be used in Europe:

  1. List of Variables and Concepts duly defined, and
  2. A common standardized European methodology.

With the aim of elaborating the suggestions to the MMSS which allow them to evolve from their current national energy systems for the household sector, towards the minimum requirements of a common European methodology, the reference will be the results exposed in the chapters 4 and 10, “Situation of the energy statistics in the residential sector in the EU e International best-practices, respectively. Additionally, a special attention should be given to the user’s needs transmitted to the MESH Consortium with the objective of covering the requirements established by the Task Force 2008.

With regard to the List of Variables and Concepts, as well as their precise definitions, this chapter will include a complete compendium of all the variables and concepts which incorporates the suggestions made to the MMSS. The same procedure can be applied to the case of a common standardized methodology, which constitutes an aspect with a strong link to the aforementioned List of Variables and Concepts, to be used in EU, defining the corresponding scope and necessity within this chapter.

2Structure of the chapter

The next structure shown hereafter is even more provisional than the others chapters because its final content will depend, at a great extent, not only on the debates among the partners, but also it will be subject to both the necessities identified on the side of the users and the best practices found in the project. For these reasons, next it is a tentative structure.

  1. CHAPTER 5: From National Practices towards EU Comparable Methodology: Suggestions
  2. Preliminary considerations
  3. Groups of Coverage and users’ needs
  4. Compendium of best practices identified to be applied
  5. Standardized Methodologies.
  6. List of Variables and Concepts.
  7. Suggestions based on Groups of Coverage.
  8. Methodologies suggested to countries belonging to Group of Coverage 1.
  9. Methodologies suggested to countries belonging to Group of Coverage 2.
  10. Methodologies suggested to countries belonging to Group of Coverage 3.

3Contents

  1. CHAPTER 5: From National Practices towards EU Comparable Methodology: Suggestions

The chapter will start with a brief introductory summary of the chapter in which the objective of the chapter, its justification, and its possible relation with other contents (chapters and epigraphs) of the manual will be described.

Additionally, it will be exposedthe necessity of following a common and comparable methodology at European level which, without forgetting the homogeneity and comparability, can be adapted to different national situations, allowing them to improve and evolve towards a common norm in matter of detailed energy statistics in the household sector.

5.1.Preliminary considerations

This epigraph will be focused on the method used in the Project to go from the different national situations to a common European methodology. The next image proposes a method to be used in the MESH project which should be object of debate and consensus among the partners and Eurostat. In any case, this method or whatever alternative arisen by a common agreement should be included and explained within this epigraph.

5.2.Groups of Coverage and users’ needs

This epigraph will be dedicated to remind the user the Groups of Coverage defined in the chapter 4, “Situation of the Energy Statistics in the Residential sector in the EU”, as well as to expose the users’ needs based on each Group of Coverage in order to cover the requirements established in the TF 2008.

5.3.Compendium of best practices identified to be applied

A part or all the best practices included in the chapter 10, “International best-practices”, will be part of the Compendium of best practices, which will be suggested to all the MMSS to apply in accordance with their degree of coverage and necessities.

As thatbest practices already have been exposed in chapter 10, in this epigraph of chapter 11 will be made a concise relation of the same ones, putting like reference chapter 10 for a greater detail of these.

5.4.Standardized Methodologies.

Both this epigraph and the next one are the core not only of this chapter but also of the Manual. More precisely, this epigraph pretends to explain in detail the different methodologies to suggest to the MMSS.

In this way, the users and statistics information producers will be provided with standardized concepts and definitions, with the objective of being used in the statistics operations oriented to produce detailed energy statistics for the household sector in Europe, making it possible the comparison of the resulting statistics.

The standardization of each methodology shall pursue 3 strategic objectives:

  1. The use of common conceptual frames which provide a basis for the consolidation of the statistics information of the household sector.
  2. The use of common names and definitions in the statistic units, concepts, variables and classifications.
  3. The coherent use of methods of data acquisition and processing for the elaboration of detailed energy statistics in the household sector.

As many methodologies as necessary will be detailed in order to cover the different realities of the Groups of Coverage and user’s needs so that the TF 2008 requirements can be fulfilled. The description of each methodology should contain, as minimum, the following aspects:

a)Identification, objective and brief description of the methodology.

b)Minimum information necessary for the application of the methodology.

c)If necessary, information which is necessary to infer and methods to be applied.

d)Information resulting from the methodology.

5.5.List of Variables and Concepts.

This is an epigraph which could be melted with the previous one, because of its strong interrelation.

The list of variables and concepts itself is a part of the methodologies standardization. If the list is moved to the previous epigraph, we’d have a relation of methodologies with their list of variables and concepts corresponding to each of them, which should be united in a unique list. Moreover, this system would lead to unnecessary repetitions of definitions.

On the opposite, if this epigraph is maintained in an epigraph independent from methodologies standardization, a unique set of variables and concepts, with their definitions will be obtained, which would be the core of a common European methodology.

This issue must be debated in depth in order to reach an agreement.

5.6.Suggestions based on Groups of Coverage.

A brief introductory mention will be included in this epigraph to explicit and detail the suggestions to the MMSS based on the Groups of Coverage and the available standardization methodologies.

5.7.Methodologies suggested to countries belonging to Group of Coverage 1.

Suggestions to the MMSS belonging to the Group of Coverage 1 related to the available standardized methodologies will be made.

5.8.Methodologies suggested to countries belonging to Group of Coverage 2.

Suggestions to the MMSS belonging to the Group of Coverage 2 related to the available standardized methodologies will be made.

5.9.Methodologies suggested to countries belonging to Group of Coverage 3.

Suggestions to the MMSS belonging to the Group of Coverage 3 related to the available standardized methodologies will be made.

MESH Project: Production of a Manual for Statistics on Energy Consumption in Households Page 1