Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
Energy: European business energy efficiency studied by ENEA and DENA
Several EU countries regularly collect data on industrial energy efficiency through energy audits [1] and energy management systems [2]. However, these data are not always leveraged for strategic or systemic evaluations. This is among the key findings of LEAPto11 conducted by ENEA and the German Energy Agency (DENA), as part of LEAPto11, a European project involving ten national energy agencies [3] The project supports institutions and businesses in implementing the EU Energy Efficiency Directive[4].
More specifically, the reports reveal that among the ten countries examined, only Italy, Portugal, and Ireland have established structured databases for energy-saving measures derived from audits. The remaining countries either maintain partial databases or lack formal data collection procedures altogether. Furthermore, only four of the ten countries use data from energy management systems in support of policy development, and just three use them to assess the effectiveness of implemented improvement measures.
Despite these challenges, the studies also highlight several positive developments and best practices among the participating countries. Notable examples include Ireland’s Large Industry Energy Network (LIEN)—a network of approximately 200 energy-intensive companies collaborating to enhance energy performance and reduce emissions—and Germany’s Initiative for Energy Efficiency and Climate Action Networks (IEEKN), involving over 450 business networks working together towards common energy efficiency and climate goals.
Among Italy’s best practices are the mandatory energy audits for energy-intensive companies (so called Energivori), and the widespread dissemination of technical information to industry stakeholders through tools such as the Subsector guidelines.
“These studies offer a new perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of current data collection systems, highlighting the lack of a strategic approach to data gathering across Europe” explains Enrico Biele, Sr. Programme Manager at ENEA and coordinator of the LEAPto11 project. Together with our project partners, we have identified a number of potential areas for improvement, some of which are suitable for immediate implementation within the new Energy Efficiency Directive” he adds.
"The requirements of the amended Energy Efficiency Directive are an opportunity to leverage energy efficiency potential” notes Steffen Joest, Head of Industry, Energy Efficiency and Mobility at DENA and co-author of the reports. The results “underscore the urgent need for enhanced cooperation to strengthen and harmonize data collection practices across the EU”.
Notes
[1] An energy audit is a systematic procedure with the purpose of obtaining adequate knowledge of the energy consumption profile of a building or group of buildings, an industrial or commercial operation or installation or a private or public service, identifying and quantifying opportunities for cost-effective energy savings, the potential for cost-effective use or production of renewable energy and reporting the findings.
[2] An Energy Management System (EnMS) is a set of interrelated or interacting elements of a strategy which sets an energy efficiency objective and a plan to achieve that objective, including the monitoring of actual energy consumption, actions taken to increase energy efficiency and the measurement of progress.
[3] Croatia (EIHP), Germany (DENA), Greece (CRES), Ireland (SEAI), Italy (ENEA, coordinator), Lithuania (LEA), Malta (EWA), Netherlands (RVO), Portugal (ADENE), and Slovakia (SIEA).