Energy- and resource efficiency as driving force for product- and process innovations: Presentation held at 2nd Dresden Conference "Energy in Future", 28.-29. Mai 2013, Dresden

Energy and resource efficiency has become a strong political, economic and social demand based on an increasing awareness of climate change, population growth, urbanization and scarcity of resources. Efforts to establish standards for energy and resource efficient products and processes are mainly pushed forward by industry and politics. To meet the demands and fulfill the upcoming standards all industrial sectors are challenged to provide eco-friendly products and set up energy and resource efficient production processes. Effective short-term measures such as using "stand-by" and "off-modes" of machines, hall lightening and air conditioning or the replacement of energy-intense compressed air applications, for example, with electrically powered instruments have been implemented in several cases. Nevertheless, high potential to optimize the use of energy and resources does not only lie in single measures but in considering whole manufacturing process chains and product life cycles