How does sustainability save money and reduce costs?

Sustainability is not an expensive “nice to have”, but it can be another way your business can spend less

Sustainability is no longer an “optional” in today’s business context. Customers and investors are increasingly looking at a company’s environmental and social impacts when evaluating a product or service, and governments are setting ambitious carbon-reduction targets for as soon as 2030. But that doesn’t mean sustainability must be a cost center. Sustainability is often seen as creating an extra layer of costs and investments in equipment or raw materials. In reality, it is possible to reduce business costs with sustainability after an initial investment that will pay for itself in the long run.

Sustainability

Leading the way to climate-proof technological transformation

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How does sustainability contribute to energy efficiency?

Sustainability is a driver of energy efficiency, because a more efficient energy consumption means lower emissions of greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming. Now, soaring energy costs are giving businesses an additional reason to re-evaluate their operations as they adapt to a new scenario of unpredictable and rising energy costs. Energy efficiency thus brings twin benefits: reducing costs, and creating a more sustainable business.

Electrification

The process driving the energy transition for a sustainable world

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Saving money during the energy transition

Increasing energy efficiency for governments, businesses, industries, and individuals is an important and immediate step that helps save money during the energy transition to renewable energy sources like solar power and wind – which deliver future savings after the initial investment is recouped. Because of its potential for cost savings, energy efficiency is taking on more importance in the drive to reach net-zero targets. Clean energy and efficient energy use are objectives that go hand in hand.

What are the best practices to save energy costs by being sustainable?

Technology is a fundamental part of any strategy for families, businesses and municipalities to save money on energy bills by becoming more sustainable through energy efficiency.

At home

By now it’s clear that taking simple steps like turning off lights, switching to more energy-efficient appliances, and keeping a close eye on the thermostat are important ways to achieve sustainable energy consumption. To get to the next level of savings, a smart home solution forms an ecosystem designed to save you energy, time, and money by giving you the tools you need to monitor and control your energy use according to your consumption needs. A smart thermostat can learn your habits, and optimize energy use accordingly. Smart meters help you keep track of your consumption in real time, so that you can reduce it.

Long term savings

To achieve long-term savings, investing in solar panels and an energy storage system for your home will lower your electricity bills immediately. The cost of photovoltaic panels has fallen by 95% over the past 25 years and some solar panels are now small enough to even fit on a balcony. These solutions make it possible to produce renewable energy autonomously and consume what you produce, and store what you don’t – dramatically decreasing costs and environmental impact, especially when clean energy is combined with the electrification of uses.

Residential Solutions

Efficient, innovative and affordable solutions lead to actual improvements in people’s daily lives

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For my business

When thinking about sustainability, the first question that comes to mind is often “How much will this cost?”. Sustainability is not necessarily a direct business cost. Along with the social and environmental benefits, sustainability can help deliver bottom-line economic savings from making your operations more efficient. Different ways to become sustainable include:

Reducing and making energy use more efficient
Self-producing and storage clean energy, in combination with an electrification of consumption reducing and eliminating carbon emissions
Adopting models of circular economy
Paying more attention to energy sources

Business Solutions

Supporting companies in improving their energy performance and achieving Net Zero goals

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In particular, reducing and moving toward a more efficient energy consumption has moved to the top of the list, because it means saving money on energy bills at a time when prices are rising or protecting your business from sudden spikes in energy costs.

To start saving on energy costs, an energy audit can help discover where you can cut waste and save, for instance by:

Checking the age and efficiency of your equipment or heating system to discover if upgrading or replacing old equipment can deliver long term savings
Installing a smart meter to help you saving on energy and costs by tracking your consumption, helping you track whether you are consuming at peak cost hours.

For municipalities

By nature of their size, municipalities have a huge opportunity to save money by adopting sustainable energy consumption in several different areas or protecting themselves from price fluctuations at a time of rising energy costs.

Remote-controlled smart public lighting is often where cities start, given that most lighting systems are based on outdated technology. Enel X smart public lighting systems deliver higher efficiency and energy savings compared to traditional incandescent and halogen lighting, saving between 70% and 90% in energy output.

“Smart city” solutions can make schools, universities, sports centers, hospitals, and public offices both energy-efficient and comfortable. They can rely on local renewable energy by integrating traditional technologies with advanced, digitalized energy management systems. These can generate enough savings to repay the cost of the entire project and even free up additional funds, which can be re-invested into projects for the well-being of the community.