We are immersed in an era where environmental care and sustainable development are becoming highly relevant topics for people, organizations, and businesses. Controlling energy consumption has become the objective of many companies to achieve a commitment to sustainability and reduce costs, making the business more profitable. The energy efficiency index is a globally accepted reference used to evaluate the efficiency of a device, system, or building in relation to its energy consumption.
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What is the energy efficiency index?
When we talk about the energy efficiency index (EEI), we refer to an indicator that shows the energy consumption level of a device, equipment, or building, taking its performance as a reference. The value of this index represents the amount of resources needed to generate a specific amount of energy.
The ISO 50001 standard is an energy management system certification, and along with the EU energy audit standard 216501, they form the reference framework in Spain to measure and calculate energy efficiency.
In smart hospitals, it is very important to consider this index to guarantee the maximum comfort and well-being of patients, ensuring that energy consumption levels are minimized.
What information does the energy efficiency index provide?
When we talk about this index in relation to a building, plant, or housing, we refer to the amount of energy needed to heat or cool it, serving as a reference to understand what the cost of energy consumption will be.
The valuable data provided by this index are:
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Knowing how and where energy can be saved.
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Making predictions about future behavior in energy demand.
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Analyzing past consumption data to obtain useful information.
Types of energy efficiency
In business and industrial environments, a reference system for energy efficiency is used, formed by a series of labels that indicate the efficiency of the device, equipment, and buildings in relation to their electricity consumption efficiency.
It is a system formed by seven color labels that have an assigned letter (replacing the previous system that used the “+” sign to indicate higher efficiency, such as A+++, A++, etc.).
The new energy efficiency labels classified from highest to lowest efficiency are:
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Dark green color and letter A.
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Green color and letter B.
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Light green color and letter C.
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Yellow color and letter D.
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Orange color and letter E.
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Intense orange color and letter F.
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Red color and letter G.
What are the benefits of understanding energy efficiency indexes
Knowing how energy efficiency indexes work is essential for many reasons, some of the most important being:
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Make better purchasing decisions for household appliances, equipment, and devices, knowing their impact on energy consumption (avoiding the use of devices with higher contamination and energy consumption rates).
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Reduce costs by using devices that consume less energy (lowering the monthly electricity bill).
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Minimize environmental impact by choosing devices with high energy efficiency indexes (less resource consumption and lower carbon footprint).
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Make better long-term investments (continuous savings over the entire useful life cycle of new devices).
Energy Efficiency Goals for 2020, 2030, and 2050
The European Union has defined a series of criteria to guarantee energy efficiency and climate neutrality, setting a series of goals for the years 2020, 2030, and 2050.
Goals for 2020
Focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption levels by 20%, in addition to ensuring that primary energy consumed comes from renewable sources by 20%.
Goals for 2030
The reduction of greenhouse gases must be in the range of 40% and 27% of energy consumed should come from renewable sources. In terms of energy efficiency, there should be a 20% increase compared to 2020.
Goals for 2050
The goal is to reduce the emission of harmful gases by between 80% and 95%.
How to Improve Energy Efficiency
Let’s go through a series of recommendations or tips to improve the energy efficiency of a company:
Select devices or appliances that have the highest energy efficiency labels (A or B). When making the purchasing decision, these labels should carry significant weight.
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Replace, when possible, old devices, household appliances, and equipment with newer models that are aligned with energy efficiency and low energy consumption.
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Invest in technology that is compatible with energy efficiency (such as electric vehicles, LED bulbs, etc.).
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Set energy efficiency as a goal for your business, establishing short and long-term objectives to achieve this goal.
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Seek advice from companies and professionals who are qualified and experienced in optimizing energy consumption in businesses and industries.
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Improve building insulation and construction, and take advantage of natural sunlight to avoid higher electricity consumption (less need for artificial lighting or heating and air conditioning systems).
We have seen the great importance of the energy efficiency index when investing in devices and equipment, and how it serves as a reference to understand their consumption and how it will affect their usage costs and environmental impact.
Contact Advantecnia to receive a service tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of your business, helping you make better decisions when implementing advanced communication systems in your business, ensuring a high level of energy efficiency.
