According to IEA, energy efficiency should be recognized as a major energy resource. Thanks to energy efficiency investments over the preceding four decades, energy use avoided by IEA member countries was larger than any other single supply side resource, including oil, gas, coal and electricity.
Experts are confident that energy efficiency can deliver substantial value through a broad range of economic and social impacts beyond the traditional focus on energy demand reduction. Some impacts of improved energy efficiency can provide as much as 2.5 times the value of the saved energy. Energy efficiency stimulates economic and social development, enhance energy system sustainability, contribute to environmental sustainability and increase prosperity.
Macroeconomic benefits of energy efficiency measures could be very impressive in the areas of increased economic activity, higher employment, favorable price impacts and trade balances. For example, energy efficiency may accelerate GDP growth rates by 0.25% - 1.1%, and each EUR 1 million invested in energy efficiency creates 8 to 27 job years.
Still, under existing policies, two-thirds of the economically viable energy efficiency potential through 2035, across all sectors, will remain unrealized. Buildings and power generation sectors have the highest energy saving potential - around 80%. Read more at https://www.iea.org
