What is energy efficiency and how to put it into practice?

A growing and ever-present concern is the preservation of our natural resources. We know the importance of caring for the environment so that these resources never run out, but are we putting this knowledge into practice?

An idea to take the first step on this path is to understand what energy efficiency is. This concept says a lot about the smart use of energy, considering the relationship between the amount needed to perform an activity and the energy available to perform it.

Thus, we can state ahead that energy efficiency is doing a greater number of tasks with a smaller volume of energy. This reminds us a lot of productivity and the pursuit of the best possible use of the resources we have, whether they are time, money, raw material, or, in this case, energy.

To better understand how you can bring this idea into your personal routine and also put it into practice in your company, stay with us!

What is energy efficiency?

Energy efficiency is a set of actions designed to optimize the use of energy sources. It is also the main topic of sustainable energy policy, created to integrate energy production and consumption in favor of a country's sustainable development.

The guidelines of Brazil's energy policy are defined by the government, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), its secretariats, and affiliated agencies. The idea is to treat this resource strategically, ensuring what is necessary to serve society today without compromising the future. But energy is not just a matter for the government, environmentalists, or companies in the sector. We recommend that, within your company, you perceive energy as a strategic input as well.

Imagine, for example, that you own a bakery and need a certain number of machines running every day to deliver your products. Thinking about the energy efficiency of your business, the following reflections would be in order: do the baking machines consume the amount of energy necessary for the operation of your chain of bakeries? Is this consumption as expected or higher? Are there other machines with better consumption performance?

Questions like this are valid to reduce your business's energy bill, whatever it may be, and thus have more profitability. But it is worth noting that the benefits of energy efficiency do not stop there. They have a global impact.

Growing energy waste has become the biggest enemy of energy efficiency, since it generates billions in losses in Brazil. According to research conducted in 2017 by the Brazilian Association of Energy Conservation Service Companies (Abesco), Brazil wasted 143.6 million gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy between 2013 and 2016, enough to supply a city of 533,000 inhabitants for a month. In other words, we imprudently spent R$ 61.7 billion.

And guess what one of the biggest causes of this waste was? The answer is outdated industrial machinery. Outdated machines can cost more than replacing them, since, in the medium and long term, they leak a large volume of electricity and money.

Therefore, energy efficiency is also directly related to your company's action planning, purchasing, and accounts payable.

What is energy efficiency in practice?

Performing more activities using less energy is a very attractive idea. However, more important than understanding what energy efficiency is in theory, is applying it in practice.

To this end, we have listed some ways to introduce energy efficiency into your business's daily routine.

Change the light bulbs

It's simple, but it's worth remembering: replacing incandescent bulbs with LED fluorescent lamps can be a good way to start your internal energy efficiency policy. This is because the lifespan of LED bulbs is 50 times longer and the heat transferred to the environment is lower, meaning you will also spend less to air-condition the location.

Invest in maintenance and more modern equipment

Whatever the company, a constant evaluation of equipment is always worthwhile. In industries, consider replacing machinery motors with high-performance ones, as they save 20% to 30% of energy compared to traditional ones.

Restaurants or other food-related businesses, which usually consume a lot of energy from their refrigeration equipment, can evaluate the time to replace these items with more modern and efficient ones. Also take care to keep them clean at all times, as dirt can impair performance and consume more energy.

Companies that have gas or electric boilers for steam production can evaluate other options for this purpose, such as cogeneration.

As for those that rely on conveyor belts or escalators, they can find models on the market with frequency inverters, meaning they are triggered by presence sensors and go into standby mode if there is no circulation of people.

Finally, air conditioning, common to all of them, must undergo frequent maintenance and, if necessary, replacement. This makes it possible to make it much more efficient.

Adopt an energy efficiency project

An energy efficiency project for your industry or company consists of a diagnosis of it as a whole, considering lighting systems, air conditioning systems, electrical installations, and the choice of machinery.

In addition, it is worth bringing the subject into internal communication, creating an awareness campaign for everyone on the team. The idea is to encourage everyone to develop a new perspective on energy, inside the company, but also outside of it!

Migrate to the Free Energy Market

Migration to the Free Energy Market is a major step to start an energy efficiency plan. To take part, you must be part of Consumer Group A (medium and high voltage) and hold a minimum contracted demand of 30 kW.

In addition to the freedom to choose energy generators and traders, by joining the free market, you will also be able to negotiate contractual conditions according to your actual needs.

As you could see, adopting actions to promote energy efficiency benefits not only the company itself, but also the environment. Putting them into practice can be simpler than it seems! It all starts with a change in behavior up to the adoption of policies that contribute to this goal, in all areas.

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The energy of prosperity for your home and your business.