Energy efficiency in Europe

Only since 2002, the year of ratification of

the Kyoto Protocol, the EU-15 has focused on the conditions for a

uniform policy in respect of

environmental and safety problems

related to energy;

and only in March 2006 the European Council laid the foundation of a common policy on three main objectives:

• increase the security of energy supply • ensure the competitiveness of European economies • promote environmental sustainability

THE EU energy action plan in March 2007, expects to achieve by 2020 :   • the 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions • to achieve a 20% of energy from renewable sources • to improve energy efficiency by 20%

The Plan contains a series of measures and initiatives in energy and cost efficiency. These include: measures to increase the energy efficiency of appliances, buildings, transport facilities and power generation.

"Europeans need to save energy. Europe wastes

at least 20% of the energy it uses. By saving energy, Europe will contribute to the fight against climate change and reduce consumption, which for now are on the rise, and the dependence on fossil fuel imports from third countries. If we act now, the cost of our energy consumption could be reduced by more than 100 billion euro a year by 2020 and every year not to produce about 780 million tonnes of CO2. “

(Energy Commissioner Piebalgs, 2006).

The EU is 50% better than the Middle East.

The EU, which continues to gnaw good

progress, employs 25% energy better than the world average.

While the surprise is represented India in terms of energy efficiency is good almost like Europe.

Energy efficiency in Italy-Italy ex virtuous energy efficiency-

Guilty even retreat, as in some industrial sectors, in comparison with other EU countries. Still ready to revive the sector policies entrusting the helm operating Enea (see Il Sole 24 Ore on Sunday).

Italy's 2020 objectives are:

• with respect to energy efficiency the goal isn’t determined.

• achievement of 17% of energy from renewable sources • 13% reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide,

Energy consumption and efficiency tools

The latest report ENEA of 2010 notes that the sum of final uses of energy in Italy in 2009 was

equal to 133.2 Mtoe (million tonnes oil equivalent), a decrease of 5.2% compared to

2008: • a small but significant decline in consumption in the transport

sector (-1.8%); • a change of opposite sign in the civil sector (+3.5%) related to

climate variability (gas and electricity to +5% +3%, +9% renewable);

• the significant drop in consumption of industry (-20%) in agreement with the sharp decline in industrial production (-13.3%).