See a little insight into the world of energy efficiency and learn what it brings to the table.

Experienced content writer with over 4 years of experience in the energy sector and many industry-related publications released.

Gabriela Stawiarska

As we have stated before, we’re going to elaborate slightly more on the topic of energy. Rooted deeply in said matter, eMobilty plays an important role and fits right into the subject of energy management and distribution. Given the ever-circling debates on potential impact of electric vehicles on global energy resources, the need to extend the narration is even more grounded.

The practice of energy efficiency is the act or ability to use less resources on a task, followed by decreased consumption and waste. In general, energy efficiency is the ratio of the useful output to the total input of any resource. For example, high-efficiency appliances use less electricity than standard appliances, and better insulation in a home reduces the amount of heating and cooling energy required.  The study of energy efficiency looks at the ways to reduce the amount of energy required to provide a given service or function and the research is being conducted at nearly every aspect of the usage. It also includes improving the overall efficiency of systems, such as a power grid or transportation system.

Energy efficiency is a vital component in achieving net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide through decarbonization. It can be one the easiest and most cost effective ways to combat climate change while also providing consumers with lower prices on their electricity bills as well improving competitiveness among businesses

The motivation to improve energy efficiency is vast and diverse. The act of decreasing our use of fossil fuels can result in financial savings, while also reducing cost on consumers.The need or desire for economical practices has never been greater than it currently stands: with the prices at an all-time high. The economic crisis has forced people to re-evaluate the way they use energy in their homes and businesses. According to the 2012 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, improving commercial building energy efficiency could save American businesses $40 billion annually by 2030.

It's not just businesses that can benefit from saving money on their energy bills; households can also make a significant dent. The same study found that if households across the United States improved their energy efficiency by 10%, they would collectively save $19 billion annually on their utility bills.

While there are many motivations to pursue energy efficiency, one of the most important is simply that it is better for the environment. Burning fossil fuels emits harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which is leading to irreversible climate changes. In fact, improving energy efficiency is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In the short-term, some energy efficiency improvements may require a higher upfront investment, but offer significant long-term savings. In the long-term, energy efficiency improvements can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment. Nevertheless, there is a whole plethora of possible adhibitions in nearly every area that requires energy.

Improving the energy efficiency of industrial manufacturing and processes can be challenging, but it can also lead to significant reductions in energy consumption and emissions. In many cases, energy-efficient technologies can be readily adopted in existing facilities with minimal investment.

In other cases, more comprehensive approaches may be required that involve changes to production processes or the adoption of new technologies. Improving the energy efficiency of industrial manufacturing and processes can also require changing equipment, upgrading controls and instrumentation, and modifying operating procedures.

Extracting and processing raw materials generally requires a significant amount of energy. Reducing the energy intensity of these operations can have a major impact on overall energy consumption.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of resource extraction and processing, including using energy-efficient equipment, optimizing processes, and adopting best practices.

Buildings account for a significant portion of total energy consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings can help to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, including improving insulation, upgrading heating and cooling systems, air conditioning, smart thermostats and using energy-efficient lighting i.e. LED. Many incorporate renewable sources as well, such as solar panels on the roofs.

Appliances and consumer electronics are also a big part of total energy consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of appliances and consumer electronics can help to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and consumer electronics, including using more efficient models, turning off devices when they are not in use, and properly disposing of old or broken devices.

The transportation sector is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of the economy. Improving the energy efficiency of transportation can help to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of transportation, including optimizing routes and consolidating shipments. In some cases, it may also be possible to substitute energy-intensive transportation modes with less energy-intensive alternatives. Interesting fact may be that with electric vehicles, the efficiency is estimated to be around 90%, meaning that only 10% of the energy is not directly used.

One of the most important benefits of energy efficiency is that it can help to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the main drivers of climate change, and they have a variety of negative impacts on human health, agriculture, and natural ecosystems. Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases is thus a key goal of many energy efficiency programs.

In addition to reducing emissions, making buildings more energy efficient can also save money on energy bills. This is because using less energy generally leads to lower energy costs. For example, switching to more efficient lighting can lead to significant savings on electricity bills. In some cases, the savings from energy efficiency measures can be used to offset the costs of implementing those measures.

Finally, improving the energy efficiency of buildings can also improve the competitiveness of businesses. This is because businesses that use less energy often have lower operating costs. In addition, energy efficient buildings often have higher resale values than their less efficient counterparts.

Overall, the benefits of energy efficiency are wide-ranging and significant. By reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, saving money on energy bills, and improving the competitiveness of businesses, energy efficiency provides a key solution to many of the world’s most pressing problems.

Demand response

Download our paper on Demand Response and learn all about it!

Lately, there has been quite a lot of debate about the capacity of the grid all over the world. With tensions rising, many people are voicing their concerns in terms of the potential grid overburdening. However, while speaking about it, one must remember how complex the whole ecosystem is.

The global energy system is a vast and complex network that supplies energy to homes and businesses across the entire planet. It includes everything from power plants and transmission lines to distribution systems and end-use customers. At the heart of this system is energy management. This is the process of planning, controlling, and optimizing the use of energy resources to meet specific objectives. It involves countless operations making sure that the entirety runs smoothly.

Demand response is one of the technologies involved in grid’s proper operation. 

Per definition, demand response is a change in electricity consumption by consumers to help keep the supply and demand of electricity in balance. This can be done by either reducing or increasing their electricity usage depending on the needs of the grid.

Through demand response, utilities can reduce the need for investment in new generation capacity, as well as improve grid stability and resilience. For consumers, demand response programs can offer financial incentives and other benefits.

The whole technology, however slightly complicated at first glance, brings a whole plethora of benefits for both - energy consumers and the grid itself.

In our downloadable PDF, we shed light on all the important aspects of demand response:

What are the main branches of the energy system?

What’s the role of the grid in the ecosystem?

Examples of demand response in practise (including eMobility solutions)

How does demand response impact the energy system?

All about demand response

Take a look at some of the aspects of the EV charging in commercial venues.

Being an eMobility leader in various projects across multiple startups, Piotr was responsible for OCPI and OCPP integration as well as EMP and CPO platforms development. With extensive expertise in the open standards field and eMobility tech solutions, he is leading teams of experienced developers and contributing with invaluable knowledge and experience.

Piotr Majcher

The conversations on charging infrastructure are still circling around as one of the main topics of the EV debate. As much as it leaves no question that the demand for charging stations remains high, there are also ways to sneak a whole lot of charging points into the everyday use of city infrastructure.

As cities grow increasingly more populated and 'smart', the opportunities to fill them up with EV charging infrastructure arise directly proportional. The infrastructure that's already in place may in fact serve to power up not only the charging networks but most importantly the demand for electric vehicles itself. By infrastructure it can mean anything from shopping malls, office buildings, hotels, restaurants, bigger and smaller venues and residential developments.

Most commercial and industrial buildings have a few things in common: large parking areas, many tenants and employees, and often a central location in the city. These types of buildings are also uniquely positioned to support the growth of EVs, thanks to their pre-existing electrical capacity. These factors make commercial and industrial buildings the ideal candidates for the electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

It also comes with many benefits not only for the eMobility industry, but also for the aforementioned buildings.

EV charging infrastructure - benefits for the building complexes

So as not to focus purely on the advantages for eMobility, let’s take a look at what EV charging infrastructure may bring to the table of building owners and management.

To begin with, sustainability is becoming an important factor in the business world. By installing EV charging infrastructure, commercial and industrial buildings can significantly improve their eco-friendly standpoint. Such actions would work immensely in terms of the marketing value, placing EV charging-inclusive buildings in front of their competitors. What's more, by investing in EV infrastructure, building owners can take advantage of the ever-growing public interest in eMobility. This way, they can ensure that their buildings are future-proof and will remain relevant as the world moves towards a more sustainable future

Positive impact would also be visible in terms of attracting the customers, as all EV users are much likely to choose a place with commodities for them. This also opens up the possibility of collaborating with local car rentals offering electric vehicles.

In terms of the actual installation process, most commercial and industrial buildings already have the electrical capacity to support EV charging infrastructure. This means that, in many cases, installing EV chargers may not require any additional wiring or other major work. Simply put, it's a matter of connecting the chargers to the existing electrical system.

Of course, the number of chargers that can be installed will depend on the specific electrical capacity of the building. However, even a relatively small number of chargers can have a significant impact, as they can be used by multiple tenants and employees. In fact, a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that a single EV charger can service 10 to 20 EVs per day.

Furthermore, the installation of EV charging infrastructure can also help commercial and industrial buildings to meet their energy needs in a more sustainable way. By using renewable energy to power the chargers, buildings can further reduce their environmental impact.

EV charging infrastructure - benefits for the eMobility industry

Certainly the biggest advantage of wide EV chargers installations would be the extent to which it would ameliorate the overall charging infrastructure. Apart from the obvious availability of charging stations for electric vehicles’ users, in such scenario one could also observe the increased familiarity with this particular means of transport amongst those who had little to none contact with it. The great  acclimatization could massively increase the global interest iv EVs, the moment more and more people would realize how accessible and normalized these are by finding the charging components in commercial buildings such as hotels or office environments.

Another benefit here would be for the local 

 who would get the opportunity to partake in shared business ventures of installing, managing and maintaining chargers for the buildings’ owners. Same for those who develop the software solutions required to run a pool of charging stations. In such a case, the local eMobility (but not only) business market could bloom with incoming projects serving the entrepreneurs as much as the industry.

This would also positively affect the electric vehicles’ manufacturers as the market for their product would suddenly open up to a much wider audience. The industrial production of EVs itself could shift to a higher gear once the surge in demand arrives and this could lead to an overall drop in prices due to increased economies of scale.

In the end, it is certain that a wide-spread installation of EV chargers in commercial and industrial buildings would have a positive impact on many industries and economic sectors. The increased availability of charging infrastructure would make electric vehicles more accessible to the general public, which could lead to a surge in demand for these products. This, in turn, would have a positive impact on the electric vehicle industry, as well as the industries that support it. Ultimately, this would lead to a more sustainable future for both the economy and the environment.

Of course, such solutions are already used in practice in many places. The idea of charging an electric car at one's lodging is becoming more popular as companies like Hilton and Destination Hotels partner up with Tesla to offer this service. Such partnership means that guests can charge any other kind on sale, including Nissan Leaf - currently ranked among top-selling vehicles worldwide according to the CNN data. Such undertakings can be observed around the world. Marriott Hotels have been integrating EV charges for close to a decade and are currently having more than 1,700 charging stations at more than 600 hotels.

EV charging infrastructure grows increasingly popular amongst residential properties. At present, developers in bigger cities tend to implement charging points in a lot of new blocks of flats, giving their residents easy charging. Same goes with shopping malls and the surrounding parkings.

As mentioned above, such a solution poses a great deal of opportunity for many industries, including software development agencies.

Namely, such chargers require a suitable software enabling the maintenance and management as well as apps for EV drivers from which they can start/stop charging or simply pay. In cases of residential buildings, these may even be apps designed specifically for residents to schedule their charger. It makes for a great opportunity for software houses to build up expertise in the eMobility field and come together in making chargers more accessible and easier to manage.

EV charging infrastructure in commercial buildings - post scriptum

With all the aforementioned benefits, naturally there come many challenges. These include all the technical aspects from picking the right type of charges and their maintenance solutions all the way to anything related to the installation and electrical capacity. Much like with any introduced innovation, the beginning may be slightly hard but so worth it at the end, given all the advantages it brings to the table.

And it brings a lot to both eMobility as it stands as well as other industries who may get involved at any level. Not to mention the marketing behind electric vehicles and mass familiarity with the topic among potential customers and future EV drivers.

Take a look at some of the most interesting and significant aspects of the EV charging in commercial venues.

A few words about energy efficiency

10 NOVEMBER 2022 • 6 MIN READ