SIEMENS

The purpose of energy-efficient products is to help decouple economic growth from energy consumption. Whereas the global market volume for energy-efficient products and solutions totaled €450 billion in 2005, that figure could rise to approximately €900 billion by 2020, according to an analysis conducted by the Roland Berger consulting firm. The effects of the current economic crisis were not taken into account in the study, but various new stimulus programs that focus on the application of energy-efficient solutions make the future look bright for the sector. Among growth drivers here are energy-saving motors. According to the German Copper Institute, use of a high-efficiency motor to drive a cooling water pump at full capacity for 8,000 hours a year can reduce energy costs by €405 if such a motor replaces a 30 kW standard motor. Given procurement costs of €1,650 for the high-efficiency motor and €1,300 for the standard motor, the amortization period for the additional cost of the energy-saving motor is only 9.5 months.

In combination with frequency converters, for example, energy-saving motors can help reduce the amount of electricity needed by pumping systems, which according to the EU Commission, account for four percent of global electricity consumption. An important market for this sector is India, where business with pumps and compressors for use in the construction industry, infrastructure projects, agriculture, and the processing industry is booming. According to the Indian Pump Manufacturers Association (IPMA), the sector’s market volume increased at an annual rate of 12 to 15 % between 2003 and 2006, when it totaled approximately €1.8 billion.

The U.S. is another major market that offers great potential for energy-efficient products. An American Solar Energy Society (ASES) study found that market volume for energy-efficient household appliances, lamps, computer equipment, and buildings (including windows and doors) was $160 billion in 2006 and will nearly double by 2030. Developments here are driven mainly by energy-efficient buildings, but energy-saving lamps — from high-pressure gas-discharge lamps to LEDs — are also in demand.

Measures to boost energy efficiency in buildings and households also pay off in Germany, where, for example, insulation of a basement ceiling in a one-family house costs approximately €2,000 and reduces heating costs by €150 a year. Combined with a subsidy from the government’s building renovation program, this investment will pay for itself in around ten years — or even sooner if oil and gas prices increase. A high-efficiency refrigerator (A++) is about €50 more expensive than a less efficient device, but will save its user €11 a year. Investment in energy-saving lamps also pays off, as their higher procurement costs compared to conventional incandescent light bulbs are amortized after as little as 240 hours of operation — which is why the EU plans to ban the use of light bulbs soon. Some 3.7 billion incandescent light bulbs are now being used in Europe, compared to only around 500 million energy-saving lamps.