Table 1 The Sustainability Indicator System [8]

Securing human existence

 1. Energy-related emissions of particulate matter

 2. Energy-related emissions of cadmium

 3. Energy-related emissions of mercury

 4. Energy import dependency

 5. Monthly energy expenditures of households with a monthly net income less than 1300 Euros

 6. SAIDI of electricity

 7. Relation of employees in the renewable energy sector to total employees

 8. Final energy consumption of private households per capita

 9. Relation of technician salary to manager salary at the big electricity suppliers

Maintaining society’s productive potential

 10. Share of renewable energy in gross final consumption of energy

 11. Area under cultivation of energy crops

 12. Unused renewable electricity due to management measures

 13. Use of primary energy

 14. Specific final energy consumption of households for heating (temperature-corrected)

 15. Final energy consumption in the transport sector

 16. Modal split in the transport sector

 17. Number of electric vehicles

 18. Final energy productivity of the German economy

 19. Final energy productivity of the industry

 20. Final energy productivity of trade, commerce and services

 21. Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions

 22. Energy-related emissions of acid-forming gases

 23. Energy-related hazardous solid wastes

 24. Amount of high-level radioactive waste which has not been transferred to a safe final disposal site

 25. Installed capacity of renewable energy power plants

 26. Number of university graduates in the field of energy sciences

 27. Federal expenditures for energy research

 28. Number of German patents in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency

 29. Number of start-ups in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector

 30. Added value creation from the renewable energy sector

 31. Added value creation from energy efficiency measures in households

Preserving society’s options for development and action

 32. Gender pay gap in the highest salary group in the energy sector

 33. Share of regulatory tools in the planning of power transmission grids that fulfil regulatory requirements

 34. Share of tourists who perceive energy power technologies as being disruptive in the vacation area

 35. Acceptance of renewable energies in the neighbourhood

 36. Acceptance of grid extension for achieving 100% renewable energy supply

Conditions to achieve the substantial sustainability

 37. Degree of internalization of energy-related external costs

 38. Share of development aid expenditure on energy-related projects in relation to total GDP

 39. Share of households producing renewable electricity

 40. Share of households buying renewable electricity

 41. Share of installed smart meters mandatory for large electricity consumers

 42. Volume of publicly funded loans for energy-related investments

 43. Number of energy cooperatives engaged in renewable energy plants

 44. Share of population living in regions with the objective to shift to 100% renewable energy

 45. Market share of the four biggest electricity companies on the market for the first-time sale of electricity