Protecting the environment and sparing scarce resources are key challenges for industry. There is a need to both increase use of renewable energies, and reduce overall energy consumption. According to the DBU (German Environment Foundation), 35 to 45 percent of current consumption could be saved through more rational energy use, without needing to slash energy-based services.

Purely economic concerns also push towards more efficiency. "Power costs alone for small and medium-sized industrial clients rose some nine percent in 2011 compared with the previous year. German companies spend an average of 14 eurocents per kilowatt-hour, which is fully one cent more than the average for the eurozone," said Dr. Volker Breisig of PwC auditing and consulting firm. Along with the high energy consumption of Asian countries, Germany's exit from nuclear energy will have a palpable impact on the development of domestic electricity prices.

One possibility: stop energy wastage – for example, through leak detection, ultrasound condition monitoring of fluid pipework, wireless pressure transducers, to optimize facility infrastructure or energy efficient drive systems. Compressed air alone, one of the most expensive forms of energy and found in nearly every manufacturing sector, holds significant potential savings. EnergieAgentur Nordrhein-Westfalen reports that losses are caused in particular by leaks (up to 30 percent), inefficient control of compressors (up to 25 percent), substandard technology (up to 15 percent), unused substitution potential (up to 15 percent) and pressure losses (between six and ten percent per bar).

Experts also estimate that an energy savings of some 30 percent could be gained through optimized use of frequency inverters. Only rarely are applications that are designed for peak loads actually operated at peak levels. In fact, excess energy often needs to be disposed of through mechanical means. A more intelligent solution involves control of rotational speed– ideally based on modern converters. When fitted with a suitable regulator, they adapt the motor's output voltage to suit the load. Applications where the load torque varies on a square-power law, in particular, such as pumps and ventilators, benefit from control of rotational speed. Another necessary element are management systems that allow systematic energy monitoring: simply by collecting measurements, analyzing the energy situation, monitoring it and alerting to deviations from threshold values, potential savings can be obtained, documented and further developed.

The exhibitors at all eight HANNOVER MESSE 2012 trade shows address energy efficiency under the theme of "greentelligence." At Industrial Automation in Halls 8, 9, 11, 16, 17 and the Efficiency area in Halls 14/15, facilities engineers and systems retailers present products under this umbrella. The VDMA joint stand in Hall 17 also shines light on energy efficiency in automation.