The IEA (International Energy Agency) report “Energy Efficiency 2019” has extremely disappointing findings about worldwide progress towards this all important objective.
Commenting on the report, the IEA’s Executive Director stated that “The historic slowdown in energy efficiency – the lowest rate of improvement since the start of the decade – calls for bold action by policy makers and investors.”
A number of reasons are cited for this poor energy efficiency performance, ranging from rising industrial production in the USA and China to the impact of weather conditions and from consumer preference for larger cars to the increase in device ownership.
Many factors have been responsible for thwarting the aim of the IEA’s Efficient World Strategy to achieve a 3% average annual improvement in energy efficiency.
Lost economic opportunity
The report further states that the poor results have been a lost opportunity for the global economy, claiming that: “The 1.2% improvement in energy intensity equated to around $1.6 trillion more GDP for the amount of energy used compared to 2017.
“However this figure could have been $4 trillion – an amount greater than the size of the German economy – had energy intensity improved at 3% every year since 2015.”
It has to be acknowledged that achieving the targets for reduction in global carbon emissions under the Paris Agreement of 2015 will be a major challenge. However, the IEA report did indicate that technical efficiency and digitalisation had been positive factors in driving energy efficiency, which are hopeful signs.
The difference between moves towards energy efficiency and many other measures to curb carbon emissions is that there can be economic benefits that frequently come about in a relatively short period of time.
Advances in HVAC technology
The Business Utility Consultancy Inenco Group has produced an informative report titled “A Focus on Commercial and Industrial Buildings” in which it recorded, along with other useful data relating to the UK, that: “Our commercial buildings have become more efficient in the way they use energy, which helps to reduce emissions and also cuts energy bills. The energy efficiency of non-domestic buildings has been improved since 1990, with emissions 18% lower in 2015.”
In a previous blog on this website we discussed the potential of cogeneration (CHP) units in the latest technological developments leading to improved energy usage. This is one of a range of advances in the HVAC sector.
Schwank is a market leader in the manufacture of gas fired infrared heating and cooling systems for commercial and industrial buildings, and energy efficiency has been a major objective for the company in its product development for many years. It is also indisputable that energy efficiency is a top priority for Schwank in 2020.