Organisational energy-efficient measures in industry - a neglected energy saving potential

Energy efficiency in industry is largely linked to investment measures. Measures at the organisational or behavioural level are often neglected. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of organisational measures for energy saving and their cost effectiveness. The paper is based on the results of the public funded 30 pilot networks project. These networks comprise 366 industrial companies in Germany. During an initial consultation phase, 7,759 measures were identified and analysed in relation to their energy saving potential, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction effect and economic profitability. About 13 % of these measures are classified as organisational and the correlation between organisational measures, sectors and company sizes are provided and discussed in this paper. Examples include the implementation of an energy management system, automatic and non-automatic switch off of unused equipment and machines, procurement guidelines and staff training on efficient energy use. The paper brings together the potential for organisational energy efficiency measures in large-scale industries and the service sector for different types and categories of companies