Today is the World Energy Day 2024a date that is commemorated every February 14 throughout the Planet, in order to make people aware of how important it is to make conscious and reasonable use of energy.
The best of the energy efficiency It has been, and is, an issue of fundamental importance for industry, commerce and governments. But in recent years efforts have been made to achieve a level of efficiency that is truly significant throughout the world and at all levels.
Currently and for World Energy Day 2024 It can be taken as an example that already in the 1790s, the Watt and Boulton steam engines gave a competitive advantage, since they consumed less and were more efficient. Furthermore, in World War II fuel efficiency became vital for everyone involved.
However, energy management as a separate discipline only began to evolve after the first oil crisis in 1973. And it came into effect after the second one in 1979, when real energy prices skyrocketed dramatically.
This is a brief history of how concepts regarding the efficient use of energy evolved. Something that today we handle as a matter of course, in the most industrialized countries in the world, especially in the US and European nations. And what are the bases of World Energy Day 2024.
Take care of energy (World Energy Day 2024)
As a result of the end of the Second World War, the issue of energy began to be valued. In fact, the World Energy Day 2024 It is commemorated because this anniversary was created in 1949 with the aim of raising awareness in the world of the importance of using it in a measured, effective and efficient way.
Before the 1970s, very few organizations had any type of energy monitoring and when they did, there was no common approach. Most systems were manual. Furthermore, they did not take into account variations that could be due to factors such as climate, production or product mix.
This stage was characterized by the mentality of “saving energy” at all costs. And that of finding a response to the crisis, since sudden increases in prices and inefficiency in energy supply were being experienced all over the world. All caused by the ‘lack of oil’.
Which in reality was nothing more than economic manipulation subject to geopolitical factors. At the government level, the measures tended to encourage savings. In Europe, consumers were asked to “turn off” lights when they were not in use, but in other places, power outages were the weekly trend, when .
From the 1980s to the mid-90s of the last century was when the concept of energy management was born. Timidly, the development and application of what would later be called “effective management models” began and which are still valid today, in the World Energy Day 2024.
Thanks to the implementation of computers, monitoring and targeting could be used. These systems could assess relevant factors, such as whether thermal conditioning was carried out based on ambient temperature, production levels, etc.
Buy energy (World Energy Day 2024)
By the year 2000, energy management as a discipline began to decline. This happened thanks to two factors. On the one hand, the reduction of real costs due to the privatization of public companies. And on the other hand, the decrease in the general size of companies. When the market was liberalized, there was confidence that greater savings could be achieved with less risk. It was decided to make more effective purchases and the implementation of energy efficiency projects was left aside.
Many energy company managers were fired or transferred to other areas. And several of the large organizations that had been pioneers in energy management began to lose ground. In addition, the energy consulting market fell drastically, except in the purchasing area.
He environment began to emerge as an issue in this period and many companies incorporated energy management by applying it to broader environmental initiatives, but without going into great depth.
Go for carbon reduction (World Energy Day 2024)
The first decade of the new century and the arrival of the millennium “opened the eyes of the world” and they assumed the need to reduce carbon use. Terms such as Global warming, Carbon footprint, Climate Change, Eco friendly and much more. And in
He Kyoto Protocol took on greater prominence. And the climate change agenda became a priority for individuals, governments and organizations. This once again made energy an issue of great importance. In fact, as prices rose, companies began to reduce consumption, facing sanctions for not doing so.
Energy efficiency (World Energy Day 2024)
Starting in 2010, policy aimed at the need to achieve optimal levels of energy efficiency began to grow globally. The prediction is that energy efficiency will increasingly be seen as a reliable resource that everyone can access, market and value. And although fossil fuels are still being used, renewable energy have gained a necessary and undeniable momentum. Something that is widely celebrated in the World Energy Day 2024.