Companies make energy efficiency a top priority
Energy efficiency is a key priority for a majority of companies across Ireland, a major survey has revealed.
The survey by the IBEC-CBI Joint Business Council (JBC), with the support of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), found that 84 per cent of firms rated energy efficiency as highly important in their operations.
In the survey 600 firms – 300 in Northern Ireland and the same number in the Republic of ireland were asked for their views on energy savings.
The results showed that, on average, almost three quarters (72 per cent) of businesses across island either already have taken or plan to take action over the next three years to improve energy efficiency within their companies. For almost all (93 per cent) of those surveyed, cost savings was cited as the key driver to invest in energy efficiency, with related incentives such as financial assistance also being cited as critical.
Commenting on the results Julie Jordan, Director of the Joint Business Council, said:
“The 2010 results highlight an increase in the percentage of companies with targets or schemes in place to improve energy efficiency – the key motivator being cost savings. Of those with a scheme in place, 73 per cent cited success in improving energy efficiency or reducing their carbon impact. The main barriers to investing in energy efficiency are cost of technology and lack of financial incentives.”
Ms Jordan said the survey found that energy efficiency was rated as a medium or top priority by up to 84 per cent of companies and highest for those which are medium/large energy users and within the manufacturing sector.
“Actions that companies have taken range from reducing business travel to fine tuning their supply chain as well as efficiencies applied to production processes – the latter of which demonstrates the potential for smart metering within industry – with two thirds of businesses citing an interest in smart metering. The survey also highlights that over a third of businesses are interested in generating energy on site.”
Declan Meally, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, said there was still huge potential for small businesses to make cost savings through energy-efficiency.
“Most of these savings can be achieved through low-cost activities and our experience shows that businesses that have engaged with SEAI programmes, can easily achieve savings of up to 20 per cent of their energy costs by low cost behavioural changes”
The survey also found that a third of business across the island had already conducted an internal energy audit within the last three years, with this figure reaching almost 50 per cent for medium and large energy users.
Almost half of all companies reported that they now had a structured scheme in place to improve their energy efficiency – a major increase since 2008, when only a third of businesses had such a scheme in place. For medium and large energy users, the figure was substantially higher with 64 per cent and 56 per cent respectively having a scheme in place – demonstrating the significance of energy efficiency cost savings to these companies with higher energy bills.
Of those companies which currently do not have a scheme in place, 28 per cent stated that they have plans to implement a scheme within the next three years.
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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