We are currently in the midst of a climate emergency, which has led companies to set new goals for a new energy model that guarantees the sustainability of the planet. Sustainability cannot be understood without the energy efficiency of the natural resources we need. Spanish companies are aware that sustainability is a key strategic element for their business.
According to the recent study on energy efficiency in Spain, "98% of Spanish companies are already investing, or plan to invest, in strategies to achieve more efficient energy consumption", which reveals that the level of awareness is increasing. This study reveals that 51% of the surveyed companies consider that the initial investment is the main barrier making these improvements, which ends up preventing many SMEs from being able to create a more sustainable model during their transformation.
The Spanish business network is mainly made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for 82% of business employment. According to different studies, in terms of energy consumption, Spanish SMEs consume around 15% of the total energy demand. However, the most revealing aspect of this study is that around 30% of this demand could be reduced with energy efficiency measures.
Spanish companies that invest in energy efficiency, in addition to achieving efficient consumption, save 51% of their costs and increase their competitiveness compared to other entities by 45%.
However, Spanish SMEs are reluctant to implement energy efficiency measures, mainly for two main reasons:
- The lack of real knowledge of their energy data and lack of awareness of the potential of energy efficient solutions.
- The belief that the implementation of energy efficient measures requires a large financial investment.
In fact, most of the organisations recover their investments within two years. For example, with measures that address power optimisation, the elimination of phantom consumption, reactive energy compensation and the replacement of conventional lighting systems with LEDs, among others.