Energy and environmental technological and economic research

Research is focused on analyzing and developing long-term energy-climate development strategies and policies, taking into account environmental quality and climate policy requirements and challenges of energy supply security.

Reseach areas

• Research on integrated energy – environmental/climate policy and its impact analysis
• Energy - environmental system interaction modelling
• Modelling of road transport development and emission forecasting
• Analysis of the infrastructure development scenarios and implementation conditions for the use of alternative fuel for transport, modelling of air polluting and GHG emission forecast scenarios for the transport sector
• Integrating renewable energy sources and energy efficiency into the sustainable development of the energy system through economic, environmental and social impact assessment
• Development of impact assessment methodologies for energy efficiency measures and application of energy efficiency monitoring IT systems
• Active co-operation with pan-European energy-environmental research platforms and networks: EU energy efficiency assessment expert co-operation network ODYSSEE-MURE; Energy and environment modelling expert network ETSAP platform; the Baltic Energy Security Research Platform; Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project expert network (DDPP);  POTEnCIA modelling platform network coordinated by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.

Modern research methods and models are being developed and applied, which include methods of quantitative impact assessment and qualitative analysis of policies and measures in energy-climate sector. These research methods use an interdisciplinary approach and widely use IT and mathematical modelling opportunities in the development of analytical methods. The research provides highly qualitative and independent expertise in the development of the national energy-climate sector strategic planning documents, in the evaluation of the European Union (EU) planned policy documents and in the setting of the implementation strategies of national energy targets of Latvia in the energy sector to be determined on the basis thereof, and evaluation and justification of their impact. Active users of research results are the public administration (Ministries of Economics, Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Transport and Agriculture) and several municipalities.

The IPE provides maintenance and updating of the Latvian energy efficiency indicators and measures data bases, analysis of energy efficiency changes and their influencing factors, development of energy saving methods and their application in Latvian conditions.