THE HUGE UNRECOGNIZED BENEFITS OF EFFICIENCY

IEA lauds energy efficiency 'social, economic boosts'

Sept. 12, 2014 (The Australian/Business w/The Wall Street Journal)

“The benefits of energy efficiency go well beyond the simple scaling back of energy demand…[ Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency from the International Energy Agency] reframes the discussion…[and] shows how energy efficiency has the potential to support economic growth, enhance social development, advance environmental sustainability, ensure energy-system security and help build wealth...IEA analysis has previously shown that energy efficiency has the potential to boost economic growth while reducing energy demand…[But] under existing policies, two-thirds of the economically viable energy efficiency potential available between now and 2035 will remain unrealized…because energy efficiency is routinely and significantly undervalued…[Only] when the value of productivity and operational benefits to industrial companies were integrated into their traditional internal rate of return calculations, the payback period for energy efficiency measures dropped from 4.2 to 1.9 years…[B]y making homes warmer, drier and healthier, [unrecognized] energy efficiency measures can dramatically improve health and well-being. When monetised, for example through the cost of medical care or innovative metrics such as the value of lost work time or child care costs caused by illness, these benefits can boost returns to as much as four dollars for every one dollar invested…” click here for more

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