THE ELECTRICAL products industry and requirements for sustainability

Electricity consumption is on a pronounced upward trend and the prospects of slowing down in the future are virtually absent. The main factors supporting this situation are, on the one hand, demographic and, on the other hand, related to the economic and social processes of industrialization and urbanization, manifested especially in developing countries. All of these elements are automatically transposed in increasing the demand of electricity for industry, construction and transport. Given that a very important part of energy is currently produced by burning fossil fuels, hence derives the carbon footprint problem, namely massive growth in CO2 emissions (estimated at over 30 billion tons annually). Available solutions envisaged by specialists is limited to two possibilities: renewables or energy efficiency. In both directions, and electrical systems industry can act coherently and suggests innovative ways to overcome the current obstacles. In terms of buildings, the energy efficiency may be a result of regulatory measures (directives, standards etc.) applicable at the national/international level or voluntary strategies, such as that related to sustainability certification in one of the LEED, BREEAM and DGNB systems. In the first category falls the EED Directive which establishes a set of binding measures to help EU member states to achieve, by 2020, a reduction of 20% in consumption and a similar decline in carbon dioxide emissions. Another crucial regulatory is EPBD, which launches the concept of buildings with consumption close to zero (NZEB) setting also the introduction of special certificates confirming these performances and used in the process of selling or renting of houses. Regarding the systems for attesting the characteristics of sustainability, a stronger rate of implementation was noted in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan, but their voluntary form leaves to the owners the decision to or not to adopt such restrictions.