Energy Saving as an Important Factor in Ensuring Product Competitiveness

The article is aimed at studying the features of energy saving at a manufacturing enterprise and establishing a cause-and-effect relationship between energy saving and product competitiveness. Due to analyzing and generalizing the research results of domestic and foreign scientists the views of researchers on the process of energy saving at a manufacturing enterprise are systematized; the growing role of energy saving in ensuring energy efficiency and, consequently, product competitiveness is established. The research results show that energy saving at an enterprise is one of its most important assets, the impact of which on the level of product competitiveness is becoming increasingly important in the face of the exacerbating energy and environmental crises. Energy saving, basically focusing on the intensification of production processes and use of energy and energy resources, on the one hand, reduces the level of specific energy consumption and, consequently, the price of the released product while maintaining or increasing its quality; on the other hand, it reduces the carbon loading on the environment, thus contributes to the growth of the company's image among its consumers and partners. Both components are the most important factors in ensuring product competitiveness. The development and implementation of energy saving measures at industrial enterprises, with regard to the industry-specific character of economic entities, market conditions, and the requirements of environmental standards can serve as prospects for further research