HighEFF at NTNU Energy Transition Week 2024: Energy efficiency first!

Petter Egil Røkke
Research Director
+47 90 12 02 21

HighEFF was represented at NTNU's Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research conference, gathering all FME research centres, for a special session titled “Energy efficiency first.”

Left to right: Ann Kristin Kvellheim, Director of FME ZEN; Petter Røkke, Director of HighEFF.
Left to right: Ann Kristin Kvellheim, Director of FME ZEN; Petter Røkke, Director of HighEFF. Photo: Jessica Scott, SINTEF.

It is common sense to use energy wisely. The EU recognises this, by having energy efficiency first as a guiding principle in their policy development and investment decisions. Energy efficiency is a conflict-free measure that frees energy to be used for other purposes and bring further value creation to the industrial actors and the society.

Wednesday, at the Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) Conference – a part of NTNU Energy Transition Week 2024 - Ann Kristin Kvellheim, Director of FME ZEN, together with HighEFF director Petter Røkke, opened the session “Energy efficiency first.” Petter Røkke set the scene by saying: “Maximising utilisation of all our resources is crucial to achieve the green transition. Energy in particular, because of the current energy situation in Norway. Energy measures contribute to value creation for industry and society, and to increased energy security. It is not either or, one or the other; we need to explore all these measures to be able to strengthen our energy security and prepare for a low-emission society.” At last year’s UN Climate Summit, COP28, Norway committed to “put the principle of energy efficiency as the first fuel at the core of policymaking, planning and investment decisions.” This made the day’s session even more relevant.

Left to right: Stein Mortensholm, Communications Director at SINTEF; Hans Petter Rebo, Director Electro and Energy at Norsk Industri; Maren Aschehoug Esmark, section head at Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE); Tone Tellevik Dahl, CEO Norsk Eiendom; and Astrid Lilliestråle, Director of Technology and Market Development at Enova SF. Photo: Jessica Scott, SINTEF.
Left to right: Stein Mortensholm, Communications Director at SINTEF; Hans Petter Rebo, Director Electro and Energy at Norsk Industri; Maren Aschehoug Esmark, section head at Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE); Tone Tellevik Dahl, CEO Norsk Eiendom; and Astrid Lilliestråle, Director of Technology and Market Development at Enova SF. Photo: Jessica Scott, SINTEF.

Topics during the session included a discussion of what the industry has achieved and what the potential is, by Tor Helge Dokka (Skanska) and Anders Westin (Hydro). Barriers and enablers for collaboration were discussed by Lucia Liste (NTNU Social Research) and Inger Andresen (NTNU). Maren Aschehoug Esmark (NVE), Tone Tellevik Dahl (Norsk Eiendom), Astrid Lilliestråle, (Enova SF), and Hans Petter Rebo (Norsk Industri) discussed the political perspective. The session ended with questions from the audience before Petter Røkke and Ann Kristin Kvellheim made final remarks.

Left to right: Ann Kristin Kvellheim, Director of FME ZEN; Petter Røkke, Director of HighEFF.
Left to right: Ann Kristin Kvellheim, Director of FME ZEN; Petter Røkke, Director of HighEFF. Photo: Jessica Scott, SINTEF.

To change the game, we need to continue the collaboration efforts between R&D and industry and for knowledge from these activities to be used by NVE and politicians towards actually achieving the goals and targets of COP28 says HighEFF Director Petter Røkke.

He followed up with the question: “How can the industry collaborate to make sure that all the energy being used is actually being used in the end and not being wasted through the chimneys or as waste heat?”

Thank you to NTNU, all participants, Chair Stein Mortensholm, SINTEF, and our co-organising FMEs: INCLUDE, NTRANS, ZEN, Bio4Fuels, HydroCEN, Hydrogeni, Hyvalue,  SuSolTech, CINELDI, MoZEES, NorthWind, NCCS.