© Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy; data source: dena

Many things must be changed to improve energy efficiency. But even though appropriate investments could reduce the energy costs by one to two thirds, according to data from the German Energy Agency (dena), too few companies are working on the issue. Through technologies such as compressed air and pump systems, oftentimes up to 30 per cent of the energy can be saved, sometimes even more.

Investments pay off several times over

The costs for investments in modernisations will usually pay off within just a few years and in more than one way. Exchanging old lighting with a modern lighting system cuts not only energy consumption but also maintenance and repair costs.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular shy away from investing in energy efficiency, even though they can benefit from many federal funding options. Apart from receiving funding for the efficiency measures themselves, they can also benefit from energy consulting in advance, as this is a helpful starting point for systematically implementing efficiency measures. Thanks to the government-sponsored energy consulting, SMEs are entitled to receive reimbursement of up to €8,000 in consultancy fees.