Many mid-sized companies are hesitant to invest in energy efficiency due to concerns over high costs, a survey by the Norddeutsche Landesbank of 300 German mid-market executives shows. According to the Spiegel, 27% of those surveyed said that the cost of investments would speak against increasing energy efficiency, while 22% found the implementation to be too complex, and 21% believed that the payback period would be too long.
In the past three years, many mid-sized companies have invested in relatively low-cost measures, such as energy-efficient lighting, and the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles and their own solar panels, the survey found.
For the coming three years, many of the surveyed companies are planning larger projects: 48% of the firms plan to invest in efficient heating systems, 46% want to conclude long-term contracts for renewable energy, and 43% plan to purchase electric vehicles. However, 46% of the respondents said they needed state support to be able to continue investing in the energy transition, and 42% named technical consulting and expertise as a prerequisite.