How the engineering sector contributes to energy efficiency

2009

The engineering industry has always pursued efficiency. But the economic and environmental benefit of this pursuit of greater efficiency has long been unclear. Roland Berger Strategy Consultants examined this issue on behalf of VDMA, the German association of engineering companies, and has produced a study entitled "How the engineering sector contributes to energy efficiency". The findings: The energy savings achieved through engineering technology over the past decade and the possible savings in the decade to come add up to just under 1800 petajoules per year. This is equivalent to the electricity needs of 138 million households – 80% of all households in Western Europe. At the same time, energy-efficient plant and machinery can reduce Germany's annual carbon emissions by around 25% between now and 2020.