What is Energy Efficiency?

Did you know that industries are responsible for consuming almost 40% of all the energy produced in the country? Of this total, 46.3% comes from hydroelectric power, which despite using water, which is a renewable natural resource, generates a major environmental impact due to its installation process.

These figures show the importance of reducing energy waste, especially by companies and industries. But how is this possible? The answer lies in energy efficiency.

If you’re wondering what energy efficiency is and how you can apply this concept to your company, read on.

What is it?

Energy efficiency refers to the relationship between the amount of energy that is consumed to carry out a given task and the amount of energy that is actually used to carry out the task itself. In other words, it means doing more with less, without losing comfort and quality.

When it comes to companies, we can say that energy efficiency is achieved when spending on electricity decreases, while the quantity and level of production remain the same.

To make this concept clearer, let’s give you a simple example: the light bulb. The function of this object is to produce light. Therefore, all the energy used by the light bulb should be converted into light energy, right? That way, it would be 100% energy efficient. However, this doesn’t happen in practice.

An incandescent light bulb, for example, is only 8% efficient. In other words, only 8% of the electrical energy consumed by the bulb is transformed into light. The other 92% is lost as heat.

On the other hand, the fluorescent lamp has an efficiency of 32%. This means that 68% of the energy consumed is lost in the form of heat. This percentage may still not seem much, but it’s already a big step forward in terms of energy saving and energy efficiency.

How important is energy efficiency?

The main objective of energy efficiency is to avoid wasting energy. And there are many benefits to this. Some examples are saving electricity and reducing costs. But although these are important advantages for companies, energy efficiency plays an even more important role. After all, it is a key strategy for preserving the environment and reducing the negative impacts caused by the industrial sector.

To understand the magnitude of this, just remember that the population is growing every day. In practice, this means that the demand for energy is increasing all the time. As a result, governments need to find ways of generating more and more energy to meet the high demand. On the other hand, the most widely used electricity generation model in Brazil today is hydroelectric power stations, which, as we said earlier, generate high environmental costs.

But where do we want to go from here? The truth is that the more efficient equipment and processes become and the greater the level of awareness of energy use, the fewer natural resources are needed to produce energy. Consequently, there are fewer negative impacts on the environment.

Main benefits

• Reducing financial costs: electricity generates high costs for supermarkets, factories, distribution centers, industrial warehouses and other companies. However, by increasing energy efficiency, businesses can guarantee greater savings by reducing their costs.
• Reduced environmental impact: by improving energy efficiency, the need to generate more energy is reduced. The result is a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
• Improved air quality: reducing the emission of pollutants into the air improves air quality. Consequently, we can see a reduction in respiratory and other health problems.
• Boosting the local economy: as energy costs are reduced, the local economy is boosted. After all, companies can invest more in their own businesses, which can even lead to new job openings.

Practices related to energy efficiency

At the beginning of this text, we talked about the energy efficiency of light bulbs. But of course it doesn’t only apply to these products. There are even various initiatives to increase the number of energy-efficient products and to help consumers decide on these options.

An example of this is the Procel Seal. This seal tells consumers which products have the best levels of energy efficiency within each category. In other words, if you go into a store today and look for fans, fridges, automatic washing machines, air-conditioners or freezers, you will certainly notice that some of these products have the Procel Seal and others do not.

The same goes for stoves, cars and gas water heaters, for example. This program, focused on the efficient use of fuels, is called Conpet and highlights products that are more energy efficient.

Of course, companies can and should look for more efficient equipment. But energy efficiency doesn’t only apply to this. This concept has also reached processes and buildings. To do this, it is necessary to adopt technologies that aim to optimize the use of electricity.

An example of this is natural lighting and ventilation. While the former uses sunlight to illuminate rooms, the latter uses external air to ensure thermal comfort in spaces. In other words, both make use of inexhaustible natural resources to meet the demands that all companies face on a daily basis.

We hope that by the end of this content you will have realized that all companies, whether they are a supermarket, a factory, a distribution center or an industrial warehouse, can achieve energy efficiency.

And if you want to implement this concept in your business, click here and download the ebook “Energy Efficiency for Industry: save with conscious energy use“.