Europe

Energy Efficiency Market Report 2015

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has issued its Energy Efficiency Market Report for year 2015.
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By P. Capellini

The underlying assessment of the Energy Efficiency Market Report 2015 is that the energy efficiency market can be expected to grow in size, visibility and importance over the next several years. As governments continue to prioritize economic growth, energy security and a healthier environment, energy efficiency improvements will remain an important and cost-effective means to achieve national, regional and international goals.

The ongoing, steady improvement in energy efficiency over the past four decades has been one of the most pronounced and providing significant changes to the global energy system: it is improving prosperity with domestic, clean source of energy, avoiding since 1990 USD 5.7 trillion of energy expenditure. The returns from energy efficiency investments have not been limited to financial gains but includes also strategic returns to consumers, industries, utilities and governments from improvements in energy productivity and energy security and reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The main highlights

-Energy efficiency improvements reached by IEA member countries since 1990 avoided 10.2 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions and investments worldwide in energy efficiency in buildings, accounting for more than 30% of the global energy demand, are estimated to be 90 USD billion.

-In 2014 the energy intensity of countries belonging to OECD improved by 2.3% and OECD energy consumption is now as low as it was in year 2000, while GDP has increased by USD 8.5 trillion (meaning + 26%): this means that OECD countries has successfully separated economic growth from energy consumption and energy efficiency may be seen as the main contributor factor of this trend.

-Electricity consumption in IEA member countries has flattened partly as a consequence of improvements in energy efficiency: energy efficiency investments since 1990 saved 2.200 terawatt hours in 2014. Various electricity utilities are indeed diversifying into energy efficiency services businesses.

-Energy security in IEA member countries is improving with increased energy efficiency: only in 2014, 190 Mtoe of primary energy imports were avoided in IEA member countries saving USD 80 billion in import bills. Among IEA countries, Germany is estimated to have avoided the highest volume of imports (55 Mtoe), avoiding expenditure of USD 30 billion in 2014.

For more information about the Energy Efficiency Market Report 2015 please click here.