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The energy efficiency plan: A complete guide for businesses

Energy efficiency

Energy sobriety is a major issue in the current context of energy transition and the fight against climate change. The sobriety plan launched by the government aims to reduce the carbon footprint of businesses and accelerate the decarbonization of the French economy.

In the face of supply tensions and climate objectives, energy sobriety is becoming a strategic issue. It's not a question of heavy investment, but of better organization of uses.

An energy-saving plan identifies the main areas of consumption, sets realistic targets and gets teams involved. It can coverlighting, heating, equipment or even work habits.

In this article, we present the main principles of an energy sobriety plan, its benefits and the steps involved in implementing it. Objective: consume less, without losing efficiency.

3 Contents

Plan objectives and challenges

 

The national energy efficiency plan sets ambitious targets:

  • 10% reduction in energy consumption by 2024
  • 40% reduction in electricity consumption by 2050
  • Accelerating the ecological transition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050

 

This is part of a global strategy for energy companies, combining :

  • Emergency measures, aimed at immediately reducing energy consumption through simple, effective actions. These includeoptimizing lighting and heating, moderating air conditioning, andswitching off standby equipment in offices and industrial sites. These quick actions help to limit consumption without the need for heavy investment.
  • Structural actions, on the other hand, take a long-term view, integrating technical and organizational solutions for better energy management. This involves improving theenergy efficiency of buildings,optimizing industrial equipment, investing inrenewable energy sources and implementing intelligent systems to regulate consumption. These transformations will ensure a sustainable reduction in energy consumption and enable us to measure our carbon footprint.
  • The commitment of economic players is essential to ensure the success of the sobriety plan. Companies need to adopt a responsible energy culture, raise employee awareness and rethink their production and consumption models. Collective initiatives, such as sectoral commitments and inter-company collaboration, play a key role in accelerating the energy transition and reducing the globalcarbon footprint.

By combining these three levers, companies can not only meet regulatory requirements, but also achieve significant energy savings, boost their competitiveness and actively contribute to the fight against climate change.

Concrete measures for businesses

🏢 Building Management

 

The energy performance of energy-efficient buildings is a priority:

  • Heating and air conditioning control
  • Energy-efficient renovation of premises
  • Lighting optimization
  • Thermal insulation

🔧 Equipment and Processes

 

Energy efficiency means :

 

  • Equipment modernization: Replacing energy-hungry machines with more efficient, energy-saving technologies, such as high-efficiency motors or optimized heating and cooling systems.
  • Industrial process optimization: Revising production lines to reduce energy losses, improve process efficiency and limit waste by adjusting operating parameters.
  • Preventive maintenance: regular monitoring of equipment to avoid over-consumption due to wear and tear, energy leaks and malfunctions, thus guaranteeing a longer service life.
  • Intelligent energy management: Adoption of connected solutions, such as smart sensors and automated control systems, to measure consumption in real time and adjust resource use to actual needs.

Operational Implementation

Implementing the plan requires a structured approach:

🔍 Initial diagnosis

 

  • Energy audit: In-depth analysis of the company's energy consumption to identify sources of waste and opportunities for improvement.
  • Identification of consumption items: Mapping of the most energy-intensive equipment, processes and uses in order to target priority actions.
  • Analysis of current practices: Assessment of consumption habits, employee behavior and internal energy efficiency policies.
  • GHG or carbon footprint assessment to quantify greenhouse gas emissions for scopes 1, 2 and 3.

🎯 Action plan

 

  • Defining objectives: Setting clear, measurable energy reduction targets, in line with the company's regulatory and strategic commitments.
  • Action planning: Draw up an action schedule specifying the stages of implementation, those responsible and the deadlines for completion.
  • Allocation of resources: Mobilization of the financial, human and technological resources needed to ensure the success of the sobriety plan.

🛠️ Follow-up and adjustments

 

  • Measuring results: Setting up monitoring indicators to assess the impact of actions taken and measure energy savings achieved.
  • Adapting actions: Adjustment of strategies based on observed performance and feedback to continuously optimize the plan's effectiveness.
  • Internal communication: Raising team awareness of the challenges of energy efficiency, sharing progress and promoting best practices to strengthen employee support.

Solutions & Tools

Several levers are available to achieve energy savings targets:

🧰 Technical Solutions

 

  • Building management systems: automated systems to control and regulate energy equipment (heating, lighting, ventilation) in real time and optimize their use according to actual needs.
  • Energy-efficient equipment: Replacing energy-hungry installations with more efficient alternatives, such as optimized motors, LED lighting or heat recovery systems.
  • Real-time monitoring solutions: Integration of smart sensors and energy analysis platforms to measure consumption, detect anomalies and adjust usage to maximize savings.
  • Smart grid technologies: the adoption of smart electricity grids that facilitate the adjustment of consumption according to energy availability, notably throughself-generation, energy storage and the integration of renewable energies.

🤝 Accompaniment and Support

 

  • Training for civil servants and other staff: raising awareness and enhancing the skills of our teams in the areas of energy efficiency, eco-responsible actions and optimal use of equipment, with a view to adopting sustainable behavior on a daily basis.
  • Energy monitoring tools: Implementation of energy management platforms to monitor consumption in real time, identify deviations from targets and facilitate energy optimization decisions.
  • Best-practice guides: development of teaching aids detailing concrete actions to be taken to reduce energy consumption, both on an individual and collective scale, incorporating recommendations tailored to each sector of activity.
  • External expertise: Use of specialist consultants, design offices or energy suppliers to provide technical support, in-depthenergy audits and customized recommendations to maximize energy savings.

Economic and financial aspects

 

Reducing energy consumption brings many tangible economic benefits for companies. First and foremost, it significantly reduces energy bills, while optimizing overall operating costs. This approach also contributes to enhancing the value of real estate assets, creating lasting added value for the company.

The strategic benefits are just as significant. Companies that embark on this path strengthen their competitiveness in the marketplace. By anticipating future environmental regulations, they position themselves favorably in the face of evolving standards. This proactive approach enables them to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, meeting the growing expectations of customers and partners in terms of environmental responsibility.

Key Success Factors

  The success of an energy efficiency plan depends on three fundamental pillars. First of all, management's commitment is crucial. It must manifest itself in a a clear, shared vision within the organization, appropriate allocation of the necessary resources, and exemplary implementation of actions. The mobilizing teams is the second pillar essential. It involves ongoing awareness-raising initiativesThe Group's strategy is based on a number of key principles: a commitment to the environment, adapted training programs, and the active involvement of all employees in the process. Employee buy-in is essential to transform objectives into concrete results. The third pillar is based on a robust monitoring and communication system. This implies setting up performance indicators relevantThese efforts can be supported by a range of tools, such as a "greening" policy, regular reporting to measure progress, and the systematic sharing of best practices within the organization. To support these efforts, the company can rely on high-performance measurement and monitoring toolsThis global approach enables us to adjust our actions on an ongoing basis and maintain a constant dynamic of progress. This global approach enables us to adjust our actions on an ongoing basis and maintain a constant dynamic of progress. Energy efficiency is now a strategic issue for all energy companies. In addition to regulatory obligationsit represents a an opportunity for transformation and innovationThis is the only way to combine economic performance with environmental responsibility. The success of this approach depends on the commitment of all players and the implementation of concrete, measurable actions. Companies that know how to integrate these issues into their strategy and day-to-day operations will be best positioned to meet tomorrow's energy and climate challenges. Further information in this approach, companies can explore advanced concepts such as the scope 4 for avoided emissions, the LCA calculation for a more complete analysis of their impact, or the carbon offsetting to achieve their neutrality objectives. The use of CO2 emission factors is essential to guarantee the reliability of the data presented. From carbon balance subsidies can also be available to support these processes. Finally, for a more specific approach, companies can consult our guide on how decarbonize your company's activities by business sectorour guide to decarbonizing purchasingor participate in our webinar on decarbonizing purchasing. The Net Zero Initiative also offers a reference framework for achieving carbon neutrality.