| Apr 30, 2014 | |
Reducing energy consumption in production |
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| (Nanowerk News) Industry is among the biggest consumers of energy. One third of the energy in Germany is used in the form of heat or electricity to operate facilities and to produce goods and products. Often, energy might be saved by modernizing production processes. Under the new funding program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, which is coordinated by the Karlsruhe Project Management Agency within KIT, additional costs of the use of energy-efficient technologies in industrial production will be reimbursed on a pro rata basis. | |
 “While transforming the energy system, energy consumption has to be reduced on all levels,” Peter Schneider of the Karlsruhe Project Management Agency within KIT says. Apart from fundamental and close-to-application energy research as conducted by the KIT, thermal insulation of buildings, or household appliances with a low power consumption, production processes in industry still offer reduction potentials. “With its funding program for energy-efficient and climate-saving production processes, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs now creates further incentives for companies investing into novel plants that reduce energy consumption and protect the climate,” Schneider says. In view of rising energy costs, increase in energy efficiency will be the key for German industry to maintain its international competitiveness and innovative power. Under the special fund “Energy and Climate”, the Federal Government has now established an energy efficiency fund, for which the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is responsible. This energy efficiency fund is aimed at supporting industry in using energy-efficient and climate-protecting production processes. In case of investments, companies are to decide in favor of energy-efficient and environmentally compatible production processes. On behalf of the BMWi, the Karlsruhe Project Management Agency within KIT is now coordinating this funding program. From now on, proposals may be submitted. Projects to be funded will be selected every three months. |
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| Funding will amount to up to 20 percent of the additional investment costs directly related to environmental protection, i.e. of the additional costs of an energy-efficient technology compared to a conventional one. Maximum funding for each project is limited to EUR 1.5 million. Basic prerequisites for a proposal are additional investment costs of at least EUR 50,000, a specific reduction of end energy consumption of at least 5 percent, and a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of at least 1 kg/year per EUR 1 additional investment costs. | |
| Producing companies in Germany and their contractors may apply for funding. Funding will be granted for investments to increase energy efficiency in commercial and industrial production processes and in particular for changes to energy-efficient technologies and measures taken for the efficient use of energy. The funding program is aimed at reducing energy consumption and energy costs, increasing competitiveness, and supporting the dissemination of efficiency technologies. At the same time, emission of greenhouse gases is to be reduced. |
| Source: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology |