Energy Conservation as a Factor of Regional Development
The article deals with legal and normative requirements for energy conservation and increasing of energy efficiency in the sphere of the Russian economy. We notes a number of problems: low rates of major repairs of residential buildings, contradictory in a field of normative basis in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings and structures, lack of funds in the regions, absence of the executive’s motivation. These problems lead to a waste of energy resources and, as a consequence, reduce the efficiency of the Russian economy. The statutory mandatory energy audit was carried out in about half of the total number of objects, and the introduction of effective energy-saving measures affected a minor amount. Control and supervisory bodies in the face of The Russian Agency for Atomic, Technologic and Ecologic Supervision, regional committees on energy and other structures didn’t use adequate penalties against those who didn’t have fulfilled the legal requirements. Ministry for Regional Development (in the period of its activity) did not determine a base for indicating of energy efficiency’ s classes for residential buildings. There is no funding mechanism for energy efficiency measures in the regions ; there is practically no funding from extra-budgetary sources. One of the reasons of this situation is the lack of stimulating factors (tax cuts, soft loans, reduced rents, partial compensation of the cost for energy efficiency improvements). Energy-service contracts are not implemented for the same reason. Insufficient activity takes place in the field of introduction of new technologies and equipment with low power consumption, there are not created the demonstration zones with high energy efficiency. On the base of analysis the author proposes a scheme for development and inculcationreal energysaving measures in the region. The important point of it is to identify, large energy consumers and electricity and heating plants on the regional or municipal level. These factories should be subjected mandatory energy audits. The next step should be the preparation of a program to improve energy efficiency and the gradual implementation of it by own or borrowed funds. Particular attention should be paid to the housing sector, where there are the most significant losses of energy and form arbitrary tariffs for businesses and households.