200 million possibilities

Speeding up the transition to an energy-efficient society through policy action and partnership

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It’s time to pick the lowest-hanging fruits of energy efficiency

The green transition is well underway, but it takes time to build and scale renewable energy. Energy efficiency will play a crucial role as we move towards a society where everyone can enjoy the comfort and safety of energy access. Because we need to consume less and make sure that no energy goes to waste.

The technologies we need to achieve energy efficiency are already available and ready to go. There are plenty of low-hanging fruits – opportunities that homeowners around the world can take advantage of. And we can get started right away, with the right policy support in place.

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200 million ways we can save energy immediately

Right now, there are appliances all around the world that could be optimised for energy efficiency. Here are just a few that can be achieved at a relatively low cost:

  • Regular light bulbs to LED lights
  • Windows
  • Radiator thermostats
  • Insulation
  • Freezers
  • Tumble dryers
  • Circulator pumps

Changing pumps alone can save Portugal’s annual electricity use

Inefficient circulators are the third highest consumers of electricity in homes, just behind freezers and tumble dryers. And right now, 200 million older pumps that provide heating to homes and buildings around the world are wasting energy. Replacing them could save the equivalent of Portugal’s annual electricity consumption.

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It’s time to pick the lowest-hanging fruits of energy efficiency
Get our full perspective from Morten Bach Jensen, CEO of Domestic Building Services at Grundfos

Energy efficiency in brief

Clean energy sources are growing capacity every day, but building an offshore wind farm, for example, can take up to 10 years. We need a mix of long- and short-term clean energy sources to meet our 2050 net-zero goal. One of those sources is energy efficiency.

The global economy is set to double in size over the next 20 years. But energy consumption does not have to grow with it. If we work hard to become more energy efficient, we should only need the same amount of energy as we use today.

Within residential buildings, heating systems and boilers consume the largest amount of energy – more than 60%. And in 2020, 64% of heating systems were inefficient. That makes energy efficiency the most impactful measure we can take.

Optimising heating systems is the number one move people can make to save on their energy bills. And making sure the heating system is balanced and distributing heat evenly is the second most effective move. You can also add smarter thermostats to old, inefficient heating systems – and there are many more examples of energy efficiency.

There are countless appliances that are smart to replace, but a prime example comes from our own world within Grundfos: circulator pumps. It is easy to replace older pumps with new models, the payback period is one year – and today’s pumps are up to 10 times more efficient than older pumps.

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“Powering Energy Efficiency” by driving homeowner awareness

Grundfos and Cebr (The Centre for Economics and Business Research) recently launched the ‘Powering Energy Efficiency’ report, which highlights some of the barriers preventing large-scale adoption of energy efficiency.

Read the report to learn more about homeowners’ hesitancy about upfront costs and the need for more awareness about the benefits of energy efficiency in homes.

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How can we accelerate the upgrade of heating systems?

Homeowners, like you and me, don’t know about the energy-saving potential of replacing their appliances. If we all spread the message – repeating, reiterating and reinforcing – we can reach critical mass and kick-start real change.

And with a bit of policy support, there’s no limit to what we can achieve.

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Morten Bach Jensen

Let’s drive awareness and change together

We welcome the opportunity to work, on behalf of homeowners, with policy and changemakers – who are also homeowners themselves. If you are looking for partner, speaker, or simply want to have a conversation with Morten Bach Jensen on the 200 million possibilities in energy efficiency, please reach out to us.

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