Energy efficiency deals reduce consumption by 12.5 TWh annually

Various energy efficiency measures saved 12.5 terawatt hours of energy annually, which corresponds to the annual energy use of 625,000 electrically heated single-family houses.

Between 2017 and 2022, companies and municipalities that have signed energy efficiency agreements introduced nearly 25,000 different energy efficiency measures, said the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in a press release on Tuesday.

Energy use in bodies that have joined the energy efficiency agreements accounts for about 60% of Finland’s total energy consumption.

The more than 750 companies and their over 7,000 places of business and more than 150 municipalities and joint municipal authorities have set themselves the goal to reduce energy use.

At the end of 2022, the majority of the sectors included in the agreement had already reached the 2025 energy efficiency target set for the year.

“We have already started to update the low-carbon roadmaps together with the sectors. We will need more clean energy to meet Finland’s growing energy needs. At the same time, we should use energy efficiently and not waste it. The years of crisis have alerted both citizens and companies to find new ways to save energy. I expect future energy efficiency agreements to further enhance our energy use,” said Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen.

The companies and municipalities that have joined the agreement have invested a total of about EUR 1.2 billion in energy efficiency over the past six years. Industry and the energy sector have invested the most in efficiency measures, while the service, real estate and municipal sectors have introduced the most efficiency measures.

Between 2017 and 2022, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment supported energy efficiency investments by about EUR 120 million in companies and corporations that have joined agreements concerning the business, municipal or real estate sector Support was granted to about 1,200 projects that would not have been realised without it.

The measures reduced annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 2.7 million tonnes at the end of 2022, which corresponds to the carbon footprint of nearly 270,000 Finnish people, on average.

In 2022, a record number of almost 5,400 new measures to improve energy efficiency were implemented. Measures introduced last year alone reduced the use of energy by more than two terawatt hours.

Around 45 per cent of the measures taken in 2022 were operational measures, such as changes in controls and operating times. The proportion of such measures more than doubled from the previous years.

The introduced measures and investments in more energy-efficient technologies will have a significant impact on energy consumption today and in the next few years. As efficient use of energy as possible is essential as Finland moves towards carbon neutrality and increases its energy self-sufficiency. Reducing unnecessary energy use and timing the consumption of energy will also level out fluctuations in electricity prices.

Energy Efficiency Agreements are an important part of Finland’s Energy and Climate Strategy and the primary means for promoting efficient use of energy in Finland. The agreements implement the energy efficiency obligations laid down in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive and monitor the achievement of objectives.

The current agreement period covers the years 2017–2025. The negotiations on the next agreement period 2026–2035 are set to start at the beginning of 2024.

The sectors participating in the agreements between the state and sectors are the Confederation of Finnish Industries, Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation, Finnish Energy, Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, Finnish Forest Industries, Finnish Commerce Federation, Finnish Hospitality Association MaRa, Finnish Central Organisation for Motor Trades and Repairs, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Finnish Association of Building Owners and Construction Clients, and Heating Energy Association LEY.