Energy audits and energy management

Energy audits and energy management are crucial for systematically identifying, evaluating, and implementing measures that enhance energy efficiency across various sectors. The primary goal is to uncover energy-saving opportunities, optimize energy use, reduce energy costs, and support the EU’s energy efficiency and climate targets by minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Organizations can achieve significant energy savings and operational cost reductions by conducting comprehensive energy audits, implementing energy management systems, developing action plans, and engaging in continuous improvement practices. This approach contributes to sustainability goals and showcases the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, such as improved performance and reduced environmental impact, thereby encouraging broader adoption across the EU.

Goal and Objectives

The primary goal of energy audits and energy management is to systematically identify, evaluate, and implement measures that improve energy efficiency across various sectors. The objectives associated with this element include:

1. Identifying Energy-Saving Opportunities: Conducting detailed assessments to uncover areas where energy efficiency improvements can be made.
2. Optimizing Energy Use: Implementing strategies and practices that enhance the efficient use of energy resources.
3. Reducing Energy Costs: Lowering energy consumption and operational costs through effective energy management practices.
4. Supporting Sustainability Goals: Contributing to the EU’s energy efficiency and climate targets by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through improved energy management.

Methodologies or Approaches for Implementation

To achieve these goals and objectives, the following methodologies and approaches are recommended:

1. Comprehensive Energy Audits: Conducting regular and thorough energy audits to assess the current energy performance of buildings, industrial processes, and other facilities. This includes identifying energy wastage and opportunities for improvement.
2. Energy Management Systems (EMS): Implementing energy management systems, such as ISO 50001, to establish processes for monitoring, controlling, and optimizing energy use.
3. Action Plans: Developing and implementing action plans based on audit findings to address identified inefficiencies and improve energy performance.
4. Monitoring and Verification: Establishing robust systems for monitoring energy use and verifying the effectiveness of implemented measures.
5. Employee Training and Engagement: Provide employees with training on energy efficiency practices and engage them in energy-saving initiatives.
6. Continuous Improvement: Adopting a continuous improvement approach to energy management, regularly reviewing and updating energy policies and practices to enhance performance.

Integration with EED Goals and Key Elements

Energy audits and energy management are integral to the overarching goals of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and support several key elements:

• Energy Efficiency First Principle: Energy audits and management practices embody the Energy Efficiency First principle by identifying and prioritizing energy-saving measures before considering additional energy supply.
• Energy Efficiency Targets: Regular energy audits and effective energy management directly contribute to achieving the EU’s energy efficiency targets by systematically reducing energy consumption.
• Alignment with Higher Climate Neutrality Goals: Energy audits and management support the EU’s higher climate neutrality goals by improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions.
• Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency: Energy audits and management highlight the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, such as cost savings, improved operational performance, and environmental benefits, encouraging wider adoption.
• Heating and Cooling Planning: Energy audits can identify inefficiencies in heating and cooling systems, informing better planning and optimization of these systems to enhance energy efficiency.
• Heat and Cooling Supply: Energy management practices ensure that heating and cooling supply systems operate efficiently, reducing energy consumption and costs.
• Transformation, Transmission, and Distribution: Energy audits can identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of energy transformation, transmission, and distribution processes, contributing to overall energy system improvements.
• Exemplary Role of the Public Sector: The public sector can lead by example by implementing comprehensive energy audits and robust energy management systems, demonstrating best practices to other sectors.
• Exemplary Role of Public Buildings: Public buildings can serve as models for energy efficiency by undergoing regular energy audits and implementing effective energy management practices.
• Energy-Efficient Public Procurement: Energy audits can inform procurement decisions, ensuring that the public sector purchases energy-efficient products and services.
• Energy Saving Obligations and Obligation Schemes: Energy audits and management practices help meet energy saving obligations by identifying and implementing measures that achieve mandated energy savings.
• Energy Audits and Energy Management: This element itself underscores the importance of regular energy audits and ongoing energy management to ensure continuous improvement in energy performance.
• Efficiency in Data Centers: Energy audits can uncover inefficiencies in data centers, and energy management practices can optimize their energy use, significantly reducing energy consumption.
• Billing Information: Detailed energy audits and effective management practices can provide accurate billing information, helping consumers understand their energy use and identify savings opportunities.
• Awareness Rising: Raising awareness about the benefits of energy audits and management can drive broader adoption of these practices, promoting a culture of energy efficiency.
• Empowering and Protecting Vulnerable Consumers: Ensuring that vulnerable consumers benefit from energy audits and management practices can help reduce their energy costs and improve their living conditions.
• Energy Professionals: Training and employing skilled energy professionals to conduct audits and manage energy use ensures the effective implementation of energy efficiency measures.
• Energy Services: Engaging energy service companies (ESCOs) to conduct energy audits and manage energy efficiency projects can drive significant improvements in energy performance.
• National Energy Efficiency Fund and Financing: Accessing national energy efficiency funds and financing options can support the implementation of measures identified through energy audits, making them more feasible and cost-effective.
• National Technical Support: Technical support at the national level helps organizations implement effective energy audits and management practices, ensuring alignment with best practices and regulatory requirements.

By integrating energy audits and energy management across these key elements, the EED ensures a comprehensive approach to improving energy efficiency, driving cost-effective energy savings, and supporting the EU’s broader climate and energy goals.

Additional resources

1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A52013SC0447
2. Development of recommendations on the implementation of certain aspects of Article 8 and Annex VI of the Energy Efficiency Directive: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/b991926f-ed6b-4ed0-95cb-760ea367aada_en?filename=final_report_-_development_of_guidelines_and_recommendations_on_the_impl.pdf
3. Study on guidance to Member States on minimum criteria for Energy Audits and Energy Management Systems : https://energy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/c378763a-5c19-4ede-8d17-8ef8e0eaebe3_en?filename=eed-art8-study_on_minimum_criteria_for_energy_audits-wp3-final-clean.pdf
4. Study on the implementation of Energy Efficiency Directive Article 8 on Energy Audits and Energy Management Systems in the Member States https://energy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/d77c2599-72f3-48e8-a6e9-b567b69b6961_en?filename=eed-art8-implementation-study_task12_report_final-approved.pdf
5. Study on Energy Efficiency in Enterprises: Energy Audits and Energy Management Systems- study: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/c378763a-5c19-4ede-8d17-8ef8e0eaebe3_en?filename=eed-art8-study_on_minimum_criteria_for_energy_audits-wp3-final-clean.pdf
6. Analysis on the practices to collect, store and assess information arising from energy audits in the EU-28: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/f8b5a3f8-9d3d-11e9-9d01-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-309100103
7. Library of typical energy audit recommendations, costs and savings: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/309f5c9d-8510-41f9-a3c6-66fe460530fe_en?filename=eed-art8-energy_audits_recommendations-task_5-report_final-clean.pdf
8. Survey of energy audits and energy management systems in the Member States: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC95432

Best available techniques (BAT) reference document for the ferrous metals processing industry

9. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0923f1e0-751f-11ed-9887-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-307640174

10. Energy community guidelines to implement energy audits: https://www.energy-community.org/dam/jcr:19f10c08-3c3e-41bb-a02f-bdd55bbeaa7c/PC_022019_EED.pdf