With all kinds of savings on gas consumption, the Netherlands can do without Russian gas within a few years, says the Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy (NVDE) after an inventory. According to the NVDE, approximately half of these measures can be implemented within a year.
The Netherlands consumes about 40 billion cubic meters of gas annually, of which 5 cubic meters comes from Russia. In the inventory, the NVDE comes up with a potential saving of about 10 billion cubic meters over four years, of which almost half can be realized within a year. “I have to say, it was not that bad,” says director Olof van der Gaag. “There’s a lot of low-hanging fruit.”
Better CV setting and lights off
Fast results lead to better adjustment of heat installations. This involves not heating the boiler too hot and turning off the heating when no one is there. According to the NVDE, a “significant” amount of gas can be saved here in the business community, in hospitals and in schools. There are also still many companies that leave the lights on at night.
“Many companies have the heating on at the weekend and don’t turn off the lights at night,” says Van der Gaag. “It costs almost no money, but you have to arrange it. Until now it was apparently not urgent enough.”
According to the NVDE, households should also receive better assistance in this area. Especially in central heating systems.
Also quickly realizable is massive switch to LED lighting. “A lot is happening in that area,” says Van der Gaag, “but it can still be done much faster.” Because roughly half of the electricity in the Netherlands is currently generated by gas-fired power stations, less power consumption also helps.
Better insulation
In the somewhat longer term, there is great benefit to be gained from better insulation. This applies to industry, office buildings and households. According to the NVDE, the industry offers many options for better insulating pipes.
“The largest part of the energy demand in industry is heat, which flows through pipes,” explains van der Gaag. “If you wrap that tube in a duvet, you lose less heat. It’s really that simple.”
There are already various programs and subsidies for households. According to the NVDE, these must be accelerated, but achieving results in this area is a process that takes years. There is also a shortage of skilled workers to carry out the work.
Maintaining ‘mandatory savings’
Many companies (but not the largest energy consumers) are currently obliged to take energy-saving measures if these can be recovered within five years. According to the NVDE, too little is being checked whether this actually happens.
“It’s still a lot of paper, companies have to send in a plan,” says Van der Gaag. Because it concerns tens of thousands of companies, it is a lot of work to check everyone. According to the NVDE director, it would be better to send inspection teams to companies that immediately tackle what they encounter. “These are measures that you quickly earn back. You are doing companies a service.”
North Sea
An important caveat is that even if the Netherlands saves enough to no longer have to buy Russian gas, there can still be a problem if other countries fail to do so. In Europe there are agreements to show solidarity with each other if a gas crisis arises. And some countries are so dependent on Russian gas that it is impossible to save money.
“It is certainly not the case that we can solve this in isolation in the Netherlands,” says Van der Gaag. “So it remains necessary to look for where you can get natural gas.” According to the NVDE, the North Sea must also be considered for this.
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