Energy efficiency services

Progress in energy management systems opens up new opportunities for the further growth of energy efficiency approaches. Energy efficiency services allow the costs of the actual implementation of an energy management system to be soon covered by non-investment measures. Moreover, the Monitoring & Targeting (M&T) makes objective and accurate proof of saving possible, which applies to quite complex production processes as well. It can be stated that, due to this fact, utilisation of energy efficiency services could be considered a keystone of the management of every industrial site. The development of these systems has led to the creation of the ESCO scheme, which enables enterprises to finance the implementation of an energy management system by a third party, i.e. an energy service company (ESCO). The fact remains that the initial costs are often an obstacle preventing the implementation of modern procedures in the field of energy management, even though these costs are low in comparison with the savings potential. Companies focused on ESCO and related services (Energy Performance Contracting - EPC) are united in the Association of Energy Service Providers (APES). As of 2023, APES has 31 members.

Formation of the ESCO scheme was enabled by the development of standardised energy management systems. Czech companies that have implemented or are implementing an energy management system using the M&T approach include, for example, Plzeňsky Prazdroj, Škoda Auto, Unilever, Kovohutě Přibram, Danone Benešov, Koramo Kolin, Mondi Štěti, Vishay Electronic and Eutit Stara Voda. M&T can be implemented also in a small enterprise with simple technology or in a building, but its commercial use is best proven in the case of medium-sized and large enterprises paying high amounts for annual energy consumption (at least approx. EUR 400,000). The system’s good economic return (usually within a year) is due to the fact that implementation costs are relatively small compared to the achieved savings, which amount to a certain percentage of annual energy bills and can reach as high as 15%.

A significant form of support for the implementation of energy efficiency services consists in the inclusion of energy management principles in the ISO 50001 standard. As well as the actual economic benefits, the relevant legislation allows enterprises to supersede the mandatory energy audit by implementing the standard, and enterprises that have the ISO 50001 standard implemented enjoy preferential points when their applications for grants from the EU structural funds are assessed. ISO 50001 certification is provided by many certification bodies operating on the European market.