Since 2007, Johnson Controls has been conducting its Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI), an in-depth survey covering current and planned investments, key drivers and organizational barriers for improving energy efficiency across their facilities. The 2016 EEI survey queried over 1,200 energy and facility management leaders in the United States, Brazil, China, Germany and India.
The good news is that interest and investment in energy efficiency is at an all-time high.
Fifty percent of respondents said their organizations are paying more attention to energy efficiency today than they did a year ago, with 72 percent anticipating increased investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy over the next 12 months. Although cost reduction remains the primary driver, organizations are also increasingly considering other positive aspects such as energy security, customer and employee attraction, greenhouse gas reduction and enhanced reputation when making investment decisions.
As in previous years, the main barrier to pursuing energy efficiency projects is lack of funding. However, in 2016 there was also an increase in non-financial barriers, including uncertainty regarding savings and performance and lack of technical expertise for evaluating or executing projects. To overcome financial barriers, organizations are increasingly using energy or climate set asides to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
Click to download a summary of the findings.