Energy efficiency "represents the most important plank in efforts to decarbonize the global energy system and achieve the world's climate objectives," said International Energy Agency officials in the body's second annual report on the energy- efficiency market, released in October.
One measure of energy efficiency (EE) is energy intensity, or the ratio of energy consumption to another metric, such as floor space for a building or units of production for a manufacturing plant. Efficient use of energy reduces energy intensity, which reduces the cost of energy per unit. That, essentially, is the goal of an EE program.