Energy Efficiency

The DEESME project demonstrates how SMEs across Europe benefit from integrated energy audits by achieving energy savings and unlocking multiple business advantages, such as enhanced innovation, employee satisfaction, and resilience.

The DEESME project promotes a Multiple Benefit approach, integrating energy efficiency with broader business goals in SMEs, aligning with EU sustainability policy and enhancing various non-energy aspects, such as safety and product quality.

Despite representing a significant portion of Europe's energy demand, most SMEs face challenges in adopting energy efficiency measures due to financial constraints, lack of knowledge, time pressures, and cultural inertia. However, research from seven European projects suggests that targeted training, energy audits, and collaboration can overcome these barriers, with the potential for substantial savings and competitiveness enhancements.

The DEESME project promotes a Multiple Benefits Approach to energy auditing, integrating energy efficiency with broader business strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aiming to generate value across various organizational aspects, thus transforming compliance into strategic opportunity.

The M-Benefits research across 23 pilots identified 251 non-energy benefits (NEBs) of energy efficiency, quantifiable in 58% of cases, markedly increasing average internal rate of return and shortening payback periods, thereby underscoring their strategic business significance.

Energy efficiency offers more than cost savings, including improved product quality, employee well-being, and corporate reputation. Its strategic value is underestimated due to non-energy benefits being often invisible and unquantified in decision-making processes.

Energy Efficiency Networks (EENs) promote cooperation between companies to improve energy usage and reduce carbon emissions. Over 1,300 networks exist globally, with Germany and China leading the way. EENs encourage sharing best practices, setting targets, and implementing energy-saving measures, with proven results in energy and CO2 reductions. This collaborative model supports achieving national and international climate goals and drives innovation across industries.

Easter impacts energy demand, with UK households increasing electricity use during the holiday. Efficient practices and sustainable choices in areas like confectionery production and rabbit farming can mitigate environmental effects and promote energy savings across sectors.

Industrial symbiosis (IS) optimizes resource use and minimizes waste by exchanging resources among industries. European initiatives invest in IS methodologies to enhance market adoption but face challenges like complexity and data availability. The identification process involves mapping, screening, and matchmaking, requiring collaboration and long-term viability assessments.