Title page -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Background -- Energy conservation in the building sector -- Problem definition -- Objective and research questions -- Research approach -- Added value and context of the PhD-thesis -- Organisation of the PhD-thesis -- Theoretical perspectives -- Introduction -- Energy performance approach -- Studies on the effects of energy performance regulations -- Innovation research: from a linear to an evolutionary approach -- Network approach and system approach -- Innovation system theory -- Sectoral innovation system approach -- Conclusions -- Energy regulations and impact of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive -- Introduction and research question -- Research approach -- Framework for categorising energy regulations -- Country studies -- Belgium -- Germany -- France -- The Netherlands -- Denmark -- England and Wales -- Austria -- Finland -- Sweden -- Luxembourg -- Ireland -- Comparison of energy regulations -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Encouraging use of renewable energy by implementing the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive -- Introduction -- Benchmarking energy regulations for buildings -- Drawing attention for renewable energy in energy performance regulations -- Incorporating incentives for renewable energy in energy performance calculation -- Energy performance-related policies -- Conclusions and recommendations -- The contribution of the EC energy certificate in improving sustainability of the housing stock -- Introduction -- Research approach -- Regulatory and economic policy instruments -- Energy certificate schemes in The Netherlands and Denmark -- Discussion -- Conclusions -- Public energy performance policy and the effect on diffusion of solar thermal systems in buildings: a Dutch experience -- Introduction.

The position of energy performance policy and attention to solar energy -- Research approach for empirical analysis in The Netherlands -- Influences on diffusion of solar thermal systems in The Netherlands -- Energy techniques in residential building in The Netherlands, 1996-2003 -- Influence of energy performance policy on applied energy techniques -- Discussion -- Government regulation as an impetus for innovation: evidence from energy performance regulation in the Dutch residential building sector -- Introduction -- Innovation systems -- Types of innovation -- Government regulation and innovation -- The innovation system in the Dutch residential building sector -- Characteristics of the Dutch building sector -- Energy innovation and performance regulation -- Empirical data on the diffusion of energy-saving innovations in the Dutch residential building sector -- Discussion and conclusions -- Energy innovations in construction: network effects and energy policy in Dutch construction -- Introduction -- Innovation systems and functionally organised versus project-based firms -- Firms and projects in the construction industry -- Collaboration between contractors and suppliers in The Netherlands -- Impact of energy policies in encouraging new energy techniques -- Discussion and conclusions -- Conclusions -- Introduction -- Analysis of energy performance regulations -- Energy regulations in Europe -- Using energy performance policy for encouragement of renewable energy -- Energy performance approach for the housing stock -- Evaluation of energy performance regulations: innovation effects -- Effect of energy performance policy for solar thermal systems -- Innovation effects of energy performance policy -- Network effects of the Dutch construction sector in advancing innovation.

Impact of energy performance policy: contribution to mitigating climate change -- Energy performance policy as a tool in climate change policy -- Energy performance policy and the transition into a sustainable energy system -- Recommendations -- Summary -- Samenvatting -- Curriculum Vitae.