Energy efficiency is one of the four pillars of the Swiss Federal Council's energy policy. Paradoxically, however, energy efficiency also increases the consumption of electricity: because in future, fossil fuels will be increasingly replaced by electricity in the interests of climate protection and enhanced energy efficiency (second electrification wave). Energy efficiency is therefore no safeguard against electricity deficits. On the contrary: future energy supplies will be heavily dictated by higher electricity consumption, a marked reduction in the share of fossil fuels, and a drastic fall in CO2 emissions.
Energy efficiency denotes the ratio between consumable energy and the primary energy required for this purpose. A distinction is made between:
a) Technical potential
In many areas of everyday life, energy efficiency at present is much lower than is technically feasible. Buildings and electrical equipment, in particular, often exhibit poor energy efficiency. From a purely technical point of view, energy efficiency has the potential to significantly reduce any future growth rate in energy consumption.
b) Economic potential
Nevertheless, the economic potential of energy efficiency is much lower than its technical potential. This is because enhancing energy efficiency necessitates investments which often have an insignificant or indirect impact or only pay off in the very long term.
The Swiss economy has a high potential for increasing energy efficiency. The main potential lies in areas such as heating, hot water, construction, lighting and the operation of equipment. How such potential can be exploited is ultimately a question of profitability and the political boundary conditions.
At present, fossil fuels (heating oil, petrol, natural gas) account for two thirds of Switzerland's total energy requirements. The increased use of heat pumps for heating systems will help to reduce CO2 emissions. To reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, it is necessary to promote the use of efficient electric cars and heat pumps. Such measures will help to reduce the strain on the environment and the economy.
swisselectric supports the objective of increasing energy efficiency in Switzerland. However, any measures aimed at reaching this objective should pay due consideration to the principles of cost efficiency and individual responsibility. State intervention (such as building and equipment standards) must be restricted to measures that take the economy and developments in other countries into account. swisselectric supports regulatory measures that are based on market principles and instruments (e.g. tax incentives for building renovations). Open energy markets in which citizens have a say in the energy they purchase and use offer the best guarantee for viable investments in moves to increase energy efficiency.
