Energy Savings and Energy Performance. Concepts, Challenges and Methods

Energy savings are defined in the European Energy Efficiency Directive (2012) as "the amount of energy saved, determined by measuring and/or estimating consumption before and after the implementation of an energy efficiency improvement measure, with external conditions that affect energy consumption being standardized".

The notion of saving energy is not new, but it was highlighted by the need, following the first oil crisis in 1973, to stop using energy as an inexhaustible resource. Restrictions on oil supplies made some countries, such as France, aware of their fragility in the face of their lack of energy resources of their own, which is formalized by the term energy independence, designating a country's ability to "autonomously" satisfy its energy needs, estimated by an official indicator, the energy independence rate.

The long-established concept of energy savings is making an ever-increasing comeback, a sign of its robustness as an essential element in the quest for optimized use of energy resources, a pillar of the European "Rational Use of Energy" program.

What's more, in the fight against climate change and in view of the commitments made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), the most effective and immediate action is to reduce energy consumption, in particular by seeking energy efficiency, i.e. the best energy yield for a given system.

At the root of all this is the need to find energy to satisfy more or less vital needs.

But can't this energy demand be reduced?

Reflections on the ways in which we consume, or rather use, energy (from which the notion of energy use derives) are leading us to question some of these needs under the heading of "energy sobriety".

Above all, it is increasingly necessary to find the right balance between energy needs and solutions for meeting those needs, while preserving raw material resources as far as possible, and even returning more energy than was used (the concept of positive energy).

Tested solutions for optimizing energy use are just waiting to be implemented. They are technically and financially accessible. Many of them are cost-free, low-cost or have a very short payback period (less than a year).

France, with almost 50 years' experience in this field, was a pioneer, and numerous publications describe solutions for combating waste and achieving energy efficiency.

The great revolution for any organization is to integrate energy management into corporate management, in order to optimize the overall operation of its facilities and systems. And no longer take energy for granted.

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