Energy efficiency

Photomontage that shows an augmented reality, a hand is tapping on a holographic screen

Source: Nicolas Herrbach - stock.adobe.com

Background

Besides the transition to the low-carbon economy (decarbonization), energy efficiency is crucial to the attainment of the climate goals. At the end of 2023, the UN Climate Change Conference therefore reached an agreement that the improvement in energy efficiency should double year on year. Germany’s Energy Efficiency Strategy 2050 (EffSTRA) sets a 30% reduction in primary energy consumption by 2030 (from a 2008 baseline) as the national energy efficiency target. The measures required for this purpose are compiled in a National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAPE 2.0), which includes the sectors of buildings, industry, the craft trades, commerce and services, transport and agriculture. As a cross-industry sector and owing to its major potential for energy savings, the IT sector can support the other sectors in achieving their energy efficiency targets.

Work of the KKA at the IFA

Efforts to improve energy efficiency in the buildings sector often entail demolition, renovation and maintenance work, which can result in exposure to hazardous substances. The focus particularly lies on exposure to respirable quartz dust and asbestos; exposure to end-of-life mineral wool insulation materials, wood preservatives, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is also frequent, however. The IFA conducts consultations and measurements for exposure to hazardous substances and also provides advice on technical and personal protective measures to be taken during work involving hazardous substances.

In the area of programming, energy efficiency not only conserves resources, but also increases safety. The more efficient the software produced and the fewer lines of code it contains, the lower the risk of security vulnerabilities, and the more resistant the code is to attack. Sustainable programming thus consumes fewer resources when the code is used, and the resulting clearer and more comprehensible code is also easier to maintain. This in turn extends the software’s service life.