Enhancing Sustainability in Energy Efficiency Programs: Leveraging Data-Driven Mitigation Strategies and DLT to Address ESCO Challenges

The paper emphasizes the acknowledgment, particularly in developed economies, of the significance of energy efficiency (EE) in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Developed nations have employed private Energy Service Company (ESCO) agencies to implement EE measures, aiming to cut CO2 emissions and combat climate change. The challenges and limitations encountered in developed economies underscore the need for careful consideration in achieving successful and sustainable EE deployment. India, a developing economy, established a government-funded Super ESCO that retrofitted households with energy-efficient LED lights successfully. It was followed by implementing a large-scale Public Lighting (PL) project. Despite an initial successful phase, sustainability issues emerged during the maintenance period, primarily related to consumer recovery, transparency, and collaboration challenges. The paper suggests potential remedies, including intermediary agencies for recovery, blockchain/distributed ledger technologies, and tradable formats to monetize savings, aiming to address the identified issues in developing economies.