M-BENEFITS

Research suggests that the industrial and service sectors, which account for 40% of final energy consumption in the EU, offer substantial potential for cost-effective energy savings. However, an under-investment in energy-efficiency is observed in all countries due to the persistent existence of barriers. One key barrier is that companies do not consider energy use as a contributor to their competitive advantage. On the other hand, many frequently observed multiple benefits (MBs) of energy efficiency– such as improved product quality, higher flexibility, reduced production time, reduced production loss, increased safety, reduced operational, commercial, legal or climate change risks - represent important core business benefits for companies. Thus, MBs enhance both the strategic character and financial attractiveness of energy efficiency projects in companies. The project aims at including MBs of energy efficiency in investment decisions of companies and thereby substantially increasing the deployment of cost-effective energy saving potentials