Things are happening in terms of climate protection. This is also urgently necessary. After all, by 2030 the EU’s internal greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by at least 55 percent compared with 1990 levels. In order to achieve the climate targets, however, not only the consistent expansion of renewable energies is necessary, but also the efficient use of the energy that is already available.
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Saving energy not only saves you money, but also the environment © Andrey Popov – stock.adobe.com (Andrey Popov)
A green light goes on
What makes your home bright?? Switch from conventional light sources to More energy-efficient LED light bulbs at. If a conventional 60-watt light bulb is replaced by an equally bright 10-watt LED lamp, only one-sixth of the electricity is consumed. This also has a positive effect on the wallet. Eurostat has calculated that a single LED bulb that burns for only three hours a day can save around ten euros per year in energy costs saves. If you now add this up to all the light sources in the house, it adds up to a sum that is quite respectable.
Those who choose energy-efficient LED light bulbs not only do something good for the environment, but also save money Photo © Andrey Popov – stock.adobe.com (Andrey Popov)
Environmentally friendly heat for the home
So properly energy-efficient you can with the topic heating become. Heat pumps, A heating system that draws most of its energy from the ambient temperature or the ground can provide four kilowatt hours of thermal energy for space heating and water heating with one kilowatt hour of supplied electrical energy.
The effort required for a conversion is kept within limits, as Siegfried Knauder, retired building yard manager and foreman from St. Marein bei Wolfsberg says: "Everything was ready within two weeks. What I like best is that I didn’t have to set up any additional equipment in the garden."The decision to Air heat pump fell when the old oil heating system had to be replaced. A new one was out of the question for Knauder: "First, the installer suggested a new oil heating system with less consumption. But because they will soon be banned, this was not an issue."By the way, you can really increase the efficiency of this form of heating with an effective heating system insulation, which brings us to our next point.
Since Mr. Knauder already had underfloor heating installed, the air-source heat pump was the perfect choice Photo © Markus Traussnig (Markus Traussnig)
Well insulated is already a winner
Who can become Insulate saves, pays dearly later: Between 50 and 80 percent of energy costs can be avoided if the building envelope of an apartment building or a single-family house has been well insulated. A good insulation is not only good for your bank account, but also for the environment: Next to traffic, the building sector is the second largest energy guzzler. Incidentally, home builders or renovators are currently being offered Subsidies financial support for building insulation: The state of Carinthia shoots up to 10.000 euros to. Those who make a difference in thermal renovation renewable raw materials is rewarded by the state with an additional 5,000 euros in subsidies.
Whether for new construction or renovation: it always pays to insulate! Photo © Ingo Bartussek – stock.adobe.com (Ingo Bartussek)
Electrically on the road
Already known? E-cars are true world champions when it comes to energy efficiency goes: "Fossil-fueled cars can only put around 20 percent of the original 100 percent energy input on the road. In contrast, electric cars achieve efficiencies of over 70 percent," says E-mobility expert Harald Messner from the Styrian Energy Agency. The most common prejudice can also be cleared up at this point: the criticism that e-cars are no more environmentally friendly than cars with combustion engines due to their manufacturing process. "New studies show that especially in Austria, the ecological footprint of an electric car is particularly advantageous, because here the share of Green electricity is exemplary throughout Europe. What’s more, thanks to the energy efficiency of the electric motor, electric cars recoup the emissions of their manufacturing process after a few years," explains Bernd Neuner, head of e-mobility at Kelag.
Getting really green and smart E-mobility in combination with photovoltaics: Those who can charge their electric car with solar power save money and ensure the best possible use of their system.
The Kelag Group knows: In order to counteract the climate crisis, we must Energy system from fossil fuels to renewable energy convert. As one of the leading energy service providers in Austria, the Kelag takes its responsibility very seriously and focuses on power generation from renewable energy sources. For example, in the electricity segment, the company contributes with its power plants, procurement rights and shareholdings to, around 3 Mio. tons of CO2-equivalents to avoid. "The energy turnaround is not free. But the cost of doing nothing at all to combat climate change would be many times higher. The past seven years have been the hottest in 150 years. We cannot afford to do nothing", emphasizes the Kelag board member Manfred Freitag.
"The most efficient kilowatt hour is the one you don’t have to generate," says Kelag CEO Manfred Freitag on more efficient energy use Photo © Helge Bauer (Helge Bauer)