The language of energy efficiency – industry vs energy freaks. Experiences from case studies

Panel: Panel 4. Building the bridge from lab to customer

Authors:
Erik Gudbjerg, Lokalenergi Handel A/S
Agneta Persson, ÅF-Energi & Miljö AB

Abstract

Many countries in the EU try to decrease the energy end use in industry with a wide range of energy efficiency programmes. Very often the industries themselves show little interest in these programmes, because the programmes have been created by "energy freaks" and they only focus on the energy side. This should be seen in the perspective that in Denmark as an example the electricity cost for an industry, that is not very energy intensive, is often only 3–5% of the production cost. To ensure a higher interest for energy savings and thereby realize the efficiency potential in the industrial sector it is necessary to speak the language of the industry, and that means phrases like reduced maintenance cost, reduced number of unplanned production stops, better working environment, reliability, better quality and education of the employees, and other things that add value to the value chain in the industry.

This paper presents three successful energy-efficiency campaign case studies carried out in Denmark and an outlook towards some other Scandinavian energy-efficiency programmes directly or indirectly addressing the language barrier in industrial sector. Although these studies and programmes were successful, they most probably would have been even more successful should they to a higher degree have emphasised on the language of the receiver of the information (i.e. industry).

Erratum in pdf:

Page 699: Right-hand column: Third full paragraph:
”… energy audits carried out by the Norwegian regional energy centres.”
To be replaced by:
”… energy audits carried out by the Norwegian Institute for Energy Technology (IFE).”