By saving energy we mean reducing the amount of energy used. By using less energy, we can have multiple benefits - we can both save money and help the environment.

Energy production requires the exploitation of valuable natural resources, for example coal, oil or natural gas. Therefore, using less energy helps us to maintain these resources for future needs.

Energy efficiency is at the heart of the EU 2020 energy strategy and is an important tool for achieving the goals set out in the Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050.

Specific measures and policies are being put in place to ensure significant energy savings for both consumers and industry. For example: energy distributors or retailers need to achieve energy savings of 1.5% per year through the implementation of energy efficiency measures.EU countries can choose other means to save energy, such as improving the efficiency of heating systems, installing double glazing on windows or roof insulation, and give preference to energy-efficient products and services.

Making old and new buildings more energy efficient helps the EU achieve its energy and climate goals. The TEIWM Renewable Energy Laboratory has already made a major contribution to the energy upgrading of buildings in the region of Western Macedonia and has successfully completed several projects. Buildings account for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the EU. While new buildings generally need to consume less than three to five liters of heating oil per square meter per year, larger buildings consume around 25 liters on average condition. Some buildings even require up to 60 liters.At present, about 35% of EU buildings are over 50 years old. By improving the energy performance of buildings, we could reduce total energy consumption in the EU by 5% to 6% and reduce CO2 emissions by about 5%.
In addition, a reduction in energy consumed by heating and cooling buildings and industry can be achieved through the escalation of the use of advanced and high-performance insulating building materials during the renovation of buildings.

Energy savings can also be achieved by providing better information and control of energy use with smart thermostats. This gives us the ability to change the heating remotely when the set temperature is reached, or even to switch off the heating function when there is no one in the building, especially office buildings.Energy can also be saved by upgrading heating and cooling equipment such as state-of-the-art boilers. Other renewable energy technologies for heating and cooling, such as biomass boilers and solar heating systems, reduce the use of fossil fuels as well.
In the industry, energy storage for heating and cooling can be achieved with energy-efficient technologies such as cogeneration units that generate both heat and electricity, as well as energy management solutions.