The expected deficit in power generation is largely attributable to inefficient energy utilization. It is estimated that overall energy savings of about 20 percent are attainable in the EU by the year 2020 – without any inconvenience to consumers or change of lifestyle.

No significant efficiency improvement is possible by tackling each kind of energy utilization individually, however. It often means substituting one kind of energy for another (for example by replacing oil heating with heat pumps).

Furthermore, overall energy savings often mean using more electricity, so that the net result in general is higher power consumption.

Federal study: "Energy perspectives for 2035"

This is confirmed by the "Energy perspectives for 2035" findings. They show that in all cases, forcing more efficient energy utilization causes higher electrical power consumption. In other words, electricity is the key energy form that makes more efficient energy utilization possible.

You can download the Federal study "Energy perspectives for 2035" here.

Main topics of swissenergy

swissenergy covers all activities to do with renewable energies and efficient energy utilization, aiming thereby for maximum effectiveness by integrating the primary market actors.

The swissenergy programme focuses on five main topics:

• Building modernization
• Renewable energies
• Energy-efficient equipment and motors
• Efficient utilization of energy and waste heat
• Energy-efficient mobility

Targets not reached despite successes

One of the goals of swissenergy (the successor to “Energy 2000”) is to limit the increase in power consumption between 2000 and 2010 to no more than 5 percent. In 2008 alone, the rise was however 10,6 percent – more than twice as much.

Two aspects of energy utilization efficiency are often forgotten: Firstly, energy utilization efficiency often demands substantial investments, which are postponed until the normal reinvestment cycle. In the building sector with its large energy-savings potential, the reinvestment cycle is more than thirty years. Secondly, consumers have to change their habits, which is usually a long and tedious process.

Maximum return on invested capital

Efficient energy utilization is sensible and realistic. Incentives for investing in energy utilization efficiency measures are often in the form of legislation and prohibition. Only those measures with a positive return on investment have to be implemented.

Politically, the right conditions must be defined for maximizing the energy-efficiency return on investment.