Method. Each practice applies its published savings range to the relevant ENERGY base (MWh), not a money figure — so the primary result is price-independent. Money = MWh saved × your €/MWh; CO₂ = MWh saved × your emission factor. Ranges: insulation 2–5% of fuel (survey practice; per-surface reduction ≈96% to ASTM C680); steam programme 5–12% of fuel (DOE/LBNL economic potential 18–20% of boiler energy — conservative share of total fuel applied); waste-heat recovery 3–8% of fuel (DOE 2008: 20–50% of input energy lost as heat, recoverable share site-specific); compressed-air 2–5% of electricity (DOE/Energy Star: leaks 20–30% of compressor output; compressed air ≈10% of industrial electricity); VSDs 3–8% of electricity (DOE: 20–50% on affected drives); LED 2–6% of electricity (50–60% of lighting energy; lighting 5–30% of facility electricity); water 10–30% of water use (Envirowise/WRAP audit practice). 'Maintained plant' multiplies ranges by 0.4–0.5 (bring-to-ideal).
Unit conversions (for cross-checking against any other source): 1 MWh = 1,000 kWh = 3.6 GJ ≈ 3.41 MMBtu. €50/MWh = €0.05/kWh = €14.65/MMBtu. Natural gas 0.183 t CO₂/MWh = 0.0507 t/GJ; coal ≈0.34 t/MWh; EU grid electricity ≈0.20–0.30 t/MWh (2024, falling). These are screening figures for prioritisation, not guarantees — for report-grade per-measure numbers use the Carbon Savings Certificate.
From our guide: Universal Industrial Savings Calculator — full context, charts and sources there.
