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General information – Energy Efficiency

What does "energy efficiency" mean?

A warm living room in winter or a sports stadium brightly illuminated at night - energy is used to receive a specific benefit, the so-called energy service. How much energy is used for a specific purpose varies. Very often the required energy services can be supplied with considerably less energy input, i.e. in a much more efficient way. The lower the energy losses are during energy generation, conversion, distribution and use, the higher the energy efficiency.

Why do we need increased energy efficiency?

The demand for energy is increasing all over the world. The situation on the energy markets is heating up, energy prices are going up. Instabilities in many exporting and transit countries are a cause for concern, the increased combustion of fossil energy sources is accelerating climate change. Expansion of the energy supply is costly and will take some time. Increasing energy efficiency, on the other hand, curbs energy prices, lessens dependency on energy imports, counteracts energy distribution conflicts and reduces climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions.

How to increase energy efficiency?

In the field of energy generation energy efficiency can be increased by using power stations with a higher efficiency, for example, or with combined heat and power (CHP) - and even cooling - plants. These kinds of power plants generate more energy from the same amount of fuel, whether coal, gas or mineral oil. Energy efficiency can also be increased by a better use of the final energy generated. The use of more energy efficient devices is just one possibility.

Objectives

The German Government aims to increase the share of the highly efficient combined heat and power generation in Germany to 25 per cent of electricity generation by 2020. In order to reach this goal, energy efficiency has to be increased along the entire energy chain: from the extraction of fossil energy sources to energy generation and the use of heat and electricity.

Government policy

The Federal Environment Ministry therefore advocates a shift in attitude in energy policy. This means switching to a sustainable, climate-friendly and at the same time secure energy supply. Increasing energy efficiency and expanding the use of renewable energy sources are important means to this end. The German government has set the economic and legal framework conditions for a more efficient use of energy:

The Integrated Energy and Climate Programme, presented in August 2007 by the Federal Environment Ministry, is the most ambitious programme of this kind worldwide.
The CHP Act, amended in 2009, is an important tool for increasing energy efficiency. With CHP, the heat generated during electricity generation is not just released into the environment but used for heating private households or for industrial production.
The CO2 Building Modernisation Programme has provided essential impetus for the energy-efficient modernisation of private households, schools and kindergartens; it will be prolonged despite tight public budgets.
The amended heating costs ordinance promotes heating costs being allocated according to individual consumption so that the economical use of energy pays off.
In order to promote energy efficiency measures, the Federal Environment Ministry has initiated support programmes in the framework of its Climate Initiative since the beginning of 2008 - a support programme for local authorities, social and cultural establishments, a climate protection incentive programme for the installation of mini-CHP plants and a climate protection incentive programme for commercial refrigeration plants.

Consumer Information

Every one of us can quite easily contribute to increasing energy efficiency: Consumers can help protect the Earth's atmosphere by using energy–saving light bulbs and efficient electrical devices without standby mode, or by improving the thermal insulation of their homes. This also saves them money: According to studies by the European Commission an average household can save between 200 and 1000 Euro per year by increasing energy efficiency.