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Multiple Benefits of Energy saving
For SMEs, increased awareness about energy use and improvements in energy efficiency will of course save energy and reduce energy cost. On top of that, there may also be benefits to risk management or to the value proposition of the SME. These are so-called Multiple Benefits (sometimes also referred to as non-energy benefits, co-benefits, or ancillary benefits). Identifying Multiple Benefits clarifies how investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy are actually linked to the core business of a company, and thus contribute to competitive advantage. Below are some examples and links to training materials, as well as links to tools from other projects that help you understand and work with Multiple Benefits to persuade companies to invest (more) in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Multiple benefits of energy efficiency for the SMEs
| Energy cost savings | Decreased energy costs are a direct effect from implementing measures that improve energy efficiency. |
| Higher productivity and less maintenance | Adoption of new, more energy efficient, technologies often bring benefits in terms of overall productivity and less maintenance stops. |
| Improved competitiveness, obustness and independency | Higher productivity and reduced operational costs improve overall competitiveness. Further, the sensitivity to, e.g., varying energy prices decrease. |
| Improved work environment | Better ventilation, lighting and routines may improve work environment and employee safety as new energy-efficient technologies are often cleaner and quieter. |
| Reduced environmental impact and increased sustainability | Many companies have internal environmental goals, requirements from regulators and/or from customers. Energy efficiency helps to reach these goals and requirements. The market demands for such goals are also expected to increase. |