Page 8 - European Energy Innovation magazine - autumn 2022 edition

Autumn 2022 European Energy Innovation
8 ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Finally energy

effi ciency gets

the credit it deserves

By Morten Helveg Petersen (pictured), Renew Europe,
Vice-chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

s the saying goes, the increased energy effi ciency ambitions
greenest energy is the we will simply not achieve our climate
energy we do not use. targets in 2030, or 2050 for that matter.
AYet, energy effi ciency has
always been the neglected stepchild A look at the numbers reveals the
of energy policy. While a 300 feet potential. Taking starting point
windmill makes up a great photo in Europe’s buildings, which are
opportunity to demonstrate the currently being targeted through the
progress of the climate agenda, European Performance of Building
isolation materials and thermostats Directive, a fi le I am active on, 40
fades in comparison. percent of EU energy consumption
stems from buildings. At the same
Likewise, energy effi ciency has never time, 75 percent have poor energy
been a topic capable of setting performance. Heat, or cold for that
constituency meetings on fi re, rather matter, simply slips away through
the exercise would be to avoid the leaks in our buildings. It goes without
audience drifting off. In short, energy saying that is waste we cannot afford.
effi ciency has simply not been politically
sexy. That is until now, of course. According to the Commission’s fi t for
55 package, the target is to increase
When increasing EU energy effi ciency energy effi ciency in buildings by 36
by 1 percent corresponds to 2,6 percent compared to 2007 levels.
percent less dependency on Russian This does not only constitute a direct
gas imports, Brussels is listening. As gain from energy savings. Reduced
Putin brutally invaded Ukraine, he also energy consumption in our buildings
catapulted energy effi ciency onto the also requires less use of electricity,
top-shelf European security policy. and consequently energy waste is
reduced there as well.
Energy effi ciency’s new status as
politically sexy was prominently Energy effi ciency is the perfect
featured in the European Parliament’s complement to the establishing of
adoption of the Energy Effi ciency renewables. Energy savings from,
Directive earlier this month with say, green renovation, is energy
its staggering 40 percent energy saved years on end. Thus, energy
effi ciency target. While the European effi ciency makes the green transition
Parliament surely is the institution to easier, less extensive and cheaper.
set the bar of EU climate policy high, We will need less wind- and solar
this would have been unheard of in parks, which also reduces the
the beginning of the year. demand for land use. This aspect
is often overlooked, but can be of
The sad circumstances aside, it is high importance in countries where
extremely important that energy land is scarce, and protests over
effi ciency has fi nally been brought the establishing of renewables are
to the centre of the stage. Without frequent. Public support of the green

www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu