I want to reduce my customers' energy consumption

All companies have the potential to protect or improve the environment. The trick is to find ways that also benefit the business, for example by cutting electricity or heating bills.

Energy savings sell
Everyone will be interested in this type of win-win solution, so if you can develop solutions that could reduce your customers' energy consumption, you stand a good chance of making money and at the same time reducing climate change.

A wide range of innovative products and business models that can help save energy has emerged in recent years. The companies that market them use these energy savings as a key selling point – not least because energy is money.

Get ideas for cutting your customers’ energy consumption (Danish)

IBM is an example of one such success. Traditionally, IBM produced computer hardware that became more and more power-hungry as it grew more and more advanced.

In the early 1990s, though, IBM changed its strategy, and it now advises other companies on how they can run their IT systems in the most energy-efficient way.

Steam up, consumption down
Another example of efficient energy advice is Icelandic company Marorka, which has developed a computer program that can calculate how large ocean-going cargo ships can save fuel.

Using this software saves ship-owners huge sums, as well as substantially reduces carbon emissions.

The biggest barrier for energy savings is the investment that is often required. One way of overcoming this barrier is for the supplier to make the investment, which is then repaid through the energy savings made (ESCOs – energy service companies). This can leave the customer with a bill for nothing at all – and the supplier with a good bit of business.