Electricity use

Energy is a prerequisite for life, and electricity is an efficient carrier of energy. Electricity makes important contributions to our health, safety and welfare, and will continue to do so in the future. In many areas a shift to electricity can lead to an overall decrease in energy consumption. Electricity enables many technologies with high environmental performance.

Vattenfall is becoming actively involved in a variety of areas in an effort to reduce total energy consumption. We have taken an active involvement in a number of areas regarding the applications for electricity:

Plug-in hybrids for reduced CO₂ emissions

Motor vehicles are one example, where a shift in favour of electricity is reducing the use of fossil fuels as well as total energy consumption, since electric motors are more efficient than combustion engines. A changeover to electric cars would result in a dramatic reduction in CO₂ emissions from the transport sector.

Vattenfall has established a joint venture with Volvo on the development of plug-in hybrid cars and also co-operates with BMW on a project focusing on electric cars in Berlin.
Press kit: Joint venture with Volvo

Strong growth in heat pumps

Various types of heat pumps are another good example of efficient use of electricity. The use of heat pumps is a major and important shift towards renewable energy. It is also an area in which Sweden is at the forefront. Although the conditions are not the same in every country, the potential is nevertheless great. Vattenfall will be working to spread this technology, which can also be used for cooling, and will be actively promoting the exchange of knowledge in the countries in which it is active.

Lighting and intelligent meters

Lighting is an area in which technological development can contribute to more efficient energy use and greater user comfort. We offer solutions for street and outdoor lighting that lower energy use, improve lighting comfort and contribute to lower maintenance costs.

We are also working with “intelligent” electricity meters that are read remotely. In Sweden and Finland, 1.35 million intelligent meters have already been installed for customers in the electricity network. With these meters in place, we can offer customers new services that also promote more efficient use of energy. In time, intelligent meters will be installed in all countries in which we have electricity network operations. 
Smart grids