20 Energy Innovation Stats You Should Know in 2017 [REPORT]

We asked and nearly 300 energy professionals answered: today we are proud to present you with the official 2017 energy innovation survey results!

In addition to great benchmark data on how energy managers do their job today, this year we have also included new data on how technology in the energy sector is evolving and how energy services companies are innovating with it… or not!

In our free-to-download PDF report, you’ll find key insights, challenges, and predictions from energy managers working to innovate energy efficiency in more than 140 countries around the world.

To give you a sneak preview of the kind of energy innovation data you’ll find in the report, here are 20 energy stats you should know. Remember, if you want to see the full visuals and analysis, you can access the PDF report for free if you want to see the full visuals and analysis, you can access the PDF report for free here.

20 Energy Innovation Statistics Every Every Manager Should Know

1. Almost 90% of energy professionals surveyed were male.

2. The proportion of women on boards of energy companies was just 9% in 2014.(Source: The Guardian)

3. Most ESCOs are delivering projects locally (90%) while just 10% are serving a majority of foreign clients.

4. 3x as many energy professionals prefer to interact with their clients through personal, face-to-face meetings rather than on the phone.

5. 65% of energy professionals say that their biggest professional challenge in 2017 will be to find new projects and clients.

6. Just under half of all energy professionals surveyed say that they struggle equally with gaining recognition for their work (43%) while trying to stay updated with energy news and trends (43%).

7. The majority of energy-related companies (60%) are struggling with meeting specific customer demands.

8. Nearly half of energy services companies say their biggest challenge lies with cutting costs while demonstrating verified energy savings (46%).

9. 42% of energy professionals feel that the killer combination of unverified energy savings plus a lack of dedicated funds to put toward energy management is the chief reason to lose a project.

10. 44% of energy professionals feel that their organisation does a pretty good job of keeping pace with the overall rate of innovation in the energy industry.

11. 30% of energy experts say that the need to monitor key performance indicators (energy KPIs) is the biggest driver for their clients to choose an energy management platform.

12. The desire to recover savings from energy efficiency investments is another major driver for ESCO clients to use energy management software, according to 27% of energy professionals.

13. 54% of energy pros will personally follow the Internet of Things (IoT) trend in 2017.

14. 60% of energy professionals say that advanced energy storage has the most game-changing potential in the coming years.

15. The majority of energy professionals (66%) get the latest energy trends and insights from industry publications such as Energy Manager Today, Construction 21, or Smart Energy Decisions.

16. Only 16% of energy pros surveyed use Twitter as a source for energy news, while 44% are using LinkedIn to stay updated.

17. Most energy professionals (67%) are confident that the energy efficiency and clean tech markets are still in the growth stage.

18. Nearly half (48%) of energy professionals surveyed say that they are optimistic about the level of financing for energy efficiency services.

19. In 2015, 30% of final energy demand worldwide was covered by mandatory efficiency policies, up from 11% in 2000. (Source: IEA)

20. Investment in energy efficiency is on the rise globally, with 2015 seeing an increase of 6% from 2014 levels. The buildings sector seeing the strongest investment growth. (Source: IEA)

Hungry for more? Still, have a few burning questions? Perhaps you’re still wondering:

• How many ESCOs are investing in the latest energy management software?
• Are energy managers following trends like IoT, or preparing for new disruptors and new market entrants?
• Where do they go to stay updated on the latest energy innovation trends?

Check out our biggest and most data-packed edition of the Energy Innovation Survey to find out!