Sweco looks at reusing energy to reduce carbon emissions
Energy production is a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce these emissions by using energy in smarter ways and reusing excess energy. In a new report, Sweco analyses various solutions for more efficient energy usage. The report concludes that substantial reductions in both costs and emissions can be achieved through smarter energy use.
Fuel consumption for electricity together with heat production and fugitive fuel losses account for more than half of EU-wide greenhouse gas emissions. Many countries are investing in renewable energy sources in order to reduce emissions, but this is not happening fast enough to achieve Paris Climate Agreement targets.
An alternative way to reduce carbon emissions is to use the energy we produce in a smarter, more efficient way and reuse excess energy that would otherwise be dissipated into the environment.
“To reduce carbon emissions at the required rate, we need to use all available solutions. We have analysed options for energy re-use in both the residential and industrial contexts. For example, we see that the German government’s goal of an 80 per cent reduction of the final primary energy consumption in the housing sector by 2050 compared with 2008 can only be achieved if we consistently change the way we reduce, reuse and reimagine energy. With the right approach, energy consumption reductions will produce cost savings of up to 13 billion euros in Germany,” says Peter Weinem, energy expert at Sweco.
The report analyses options for efficient fuel usage, ways to reuse energy in waste management, and smart energy systems. A wide array of solutions is presented, ranging from controlled building ventilation to utilisation of energy from waste and innovative concepts to recover heat from sewage, subway tunnels and high voltage electricity cables.
Urban Insight is based on a series of insight reports written by Sweco experts on various aspects of urban development from a citizen perspective. Read the report here.
Sweco plans and designs tomorrow’s communities and cities and produces sustainable buildings, efficient infrastructure and access to electricity and clean water. With 15,000 employees in Europe, Sweco carries out projects in 70 countries annually throughout the world.
