Energieeffizienzmaßnahmen. Die Industrie im Spannungsfeld zwischen Staat und Käufer

In 1997, the United Nations agreed in form of the Kyoto protocol on extensive CO2 reduction obligations. For attaining the goals of reducing the greenhouse gases it has been necessary (and still is) to take actions for the improvement of energy efficiency. The responsibility for starting energy efficient activities is located at the four consumer of final energy: industry, transport, household and trade as well as services. Among these, the industry has a key position by representing one third of the whole final energy consumption. Despite the achieved success in the reduction of energy consume, several studies, for example from the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, McKinsey or the Wuppertal Institut, confirm, that the industry still own enormous potential for lowering the energy demand. The government as well as the customers increasingly force the industry to tap the full potential and realize energy efficient activities as well as products and processes. The industry has to meet the demand of both sides and therefore is captured between the government and customer. The article discusses the situation of the industry as well as the interaction between the three parties. The most important governmental measures, their effect on the customers and their influence on the industrial activities are specified. Basis of the article is the research within the Cluster of Excellence "Energy-Efficient Product and Process Innovation in Production Engineering" (eniPROD) in Chemnitz, where complementary excellence groups at the Chemnitz University of Technology CUT and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU have been consolidated to focus on "energy-efficient production" for a holistic system competence.