The challenge of energy efficiency becomes essential and the Hera Group, which has always been active on this front, is relaunching its commitment to contribute to the fundamental reduction of climate-changing emissions and to promote a sustainable and inclusive development model. Many results have already been achieved by the multi-utility, which since 2007 has saved over a million tons of oil equivalents (toe), equal to the annual consumption of 668 thousand families, and looks ahead with new challenging targets. All this, and much more, is told in the new edition of Valore all'energia, the sustainability thematic report dedicated to energy efficiency, already available online and soon also at Hera's customer branches.
In line with the process of alignment with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) launched this year, the Hera Group analyzed the total emissions produced by the Group, its suppliers and its customers, which in 2019 stay equal to 14,2 million tons of CO2. 11% of these (1,6 million tonnes) refer to emissions produced directly by the multi-utility, while the remaining 89% – equal to 12,6 million tonnes of CO2 – is attributable to customers and suppliers. This is why Hera continues to implement specific actions aimed at residential and business customers, helping its stakeholders to monitor and reduce energy consumption.
The goal is ambitious: by 2030, reduce overall emissions by 29% compared to 2019. As? Continuing along the path undertaken and continuing to innovate, without ever ceasing to lead by example.
In fact, Hera continues to increase the energy efficiency of its activities, to the point of boasting eight ISO 50001 certified Group companies. 870 are intended to improve company performance, involving not only energy production but also the water sector, the environmental sector, public lighting and the management of the Group's offices. Thanks to this commitment, Hera has reduced its consumption by 2007% compared to 2021, reaching the target set for 573 ahead of schedule, equal to the annual consumption of 6 families. And that's not all, because the Group's 2023 target envisages bringing energy savings up to 2013% over 6,5.
Among the other results achieved, we note the reduction of the carbon intensity in the production of electricity, down by 22% compared to 2013, and the promotion of the use of renewables: the consumption of the main Group companies, equal to 74% of total consumption, are in fact powered by electricity that comes exclusively from renewable sources.
The attention paid by Hera to the outside world is similar, with 297 projects that have been put in place since 2007 to favor the energy transition of many realities of the territories served: 95 of these were carried out in various industrial sectors, with an annual saving of almost 64 toe; 25 in the tertiary sector, with an annual saving of 12 toe; 20 in the field of industrial cogeneration, with annual savings of over 10 toe; 157, finally, in condominiums and public administration, with an annual saving of 512 toe.
Thumbs up, in particular, as regards customers, the subject of increasingly targeted initiatives. Not happy with provide 100% renewable energy to all households In fact, on the free market, Hera offers them various commercial solutions for the intelligent use of energy, with many smart tools for the control, analysis, management and containment of domestic consumption. Among these, the Dario dei Consumi is particularly noteworthy: conceived in collaboration with the Milan Polytechnic and inspired by the principles of behavioral economics, this tool allows customers to monitor their consumption over time by comparing it with that of similar customers and virtuous customers . Currently customers with activated energy efficiency solutions are 20% of the total, a percentage that Hera plans to raise to 22% by 2023 and 25% by 2030.
Excellent performances in the Bologna area: through 114 efficiency measuresin fact, the multi-utility has achieved annual savings of approximately 29.250 tonnes of oil equivalent, which by 2021 will reach the total amount of 80.514 toe. The most significant actions include the construction of a state-of-the-art plant for the production of biomethane from organic waste in Sant'Agata Bolognese, but also the renovation of the Bologna cogeneration plant and the energy efficiency intervention in the Bonfiglioli buildings Reducers.
