Energy efficiency technologies for industry and tertiary sectors: The European experience and perspective for the future.

This paper reports practical examples of energy saving systems implemented in Europe by combined actions in both facilities and process equipment, by using basic technologies which, with slight modifications, can be widely applied to industry and tertiary sectors. Starting from these experiences, proposals for energy savings in the future are reported by taking into account renewable energy applications, new energy storage systems, the use of IT and power electronics to improve plant control systems, new technologies such as a wider use of electricity instead of thermal energy from fuels. The use of electricity is encouraged by the continuous increase of utility plant efficiency up to 60% and also by the main beneficial environmental features of a concentrated emissions production. A similar approach can also be used for buildings whose consumptions are expected to drop down to 30-40% of the current ones.