There are more and more energy efficiency measures and regulations in Europe , often imposed in pursuit of sustainability. Companies, for their part, are also making greater efforts to adapt their resources to those that are more efficiently advanced, motivated above all by the current economic situation and the risk of losing their reputation.
One of the most important regulations is the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which establishes a series of obligations for member states to implement energy efficiency policies and regulations, with the ultimate goal that the European Union wants to achieve: 20% energy efficiency by 2020. Also in the long term, the aim is to ensure improvements in energy efficiency, so that all EU countries must make more efficient use of energy at all stages, from production to final consumption.
Royal Decree 56/2016 in energy efficiency regulations.
The Directive sets a quantified annual energy savings target per State and timetables for compliance and adoption of energy efficiency regulations and monitoring of the measures. In Spain, where energy dependence is 82% (source: EDP), the target is the same as for the EU (20% energy efficiency by 2020). With this objective in mind, the Draft Royal Decree was published, which specifies the following measures, the non-compliance of which will entail a fine ranging from 600,000 euros to 60 million euros:
- Large companies, i.e. those employing more than 250 people and whose annual turnover exceeds EUR 50 million or whose annual balance sheet total exceeds EUR 43 million, are obliged to carry out energy audits.
- Large companies must undergo an energy audit before 5/12/2015 and with a periodicity of 4 years from the date of the previous one.
- For the purpose of justifying this compliance, companies must carry out an energy audit that complies with the minimum guidelines indicated, or implement an energy or environmental management system, certified by an independent body in accordance with the corresponding European or international standards, provided that the management system in question includes an energy audit carried out in accordance with the minimum guidelines.
- 85% of energy consumption by Autonomous Community must be audited.
- Audits must apply to be registered with MINETUR before March 2016 (3 months from 5-12-2015).
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The Energy Management System alternative and its advantages
In this context, and always with the aim of complying with the energy efficiency regulations imposed, the implementation of an Energy Management System (SGEn) according to the standard ISO 50001 entails additional advantages that the occasional performance of an audit does not contemplate:
- Materialize, through an Energy Review Report, the realization of an energy study that contemplates the requirements of the energy management standard (ISO 50001), and the guidelines set by the Directive (in its Annex VI, which are those included in the project of RD).
- Detect energy efficiency improvement opportunities (EEMs), and apply the systematics to carry them out, and achieve demonstrable savings.
- Establish action plans and their measurement and verification for the achievement of energy savings and consolidated baseline improvement in energy performance indicators.
- Not paying attention to possible improvements in energy management means a loss of competitiveness.
- Automate energy management for periodic audits, with the significant savings and increase in productivity that this entails.
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In addition to the EED, the building sector is supported by other European energy efficiency regulations, e.g. the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). As a consequence, increased performance requirements apply to new construction and retrofitting of existing buildings and changes in building codes. In this respect, the reform of the CTE in Spain "contributes to the development of the Spanish Government's policies on sustainability, in particular the Action Plan of the Energy Saving and Efficiency Strategy, and becomes an instrument of far-reaching commitments of the Government in environmental matters, such as the Kyoto Protocol or the Göteborg Strategy", in addition to including the requirements related to the requirements of the European Directives.
France and Germany lead the ranking of the most energy efficient buildings, followed by the United Kingdom and Italy. In fifth position is Spain, where one of the most popular requirements was experienced by developers and owners of buildings, homes, premises and offices, who found themselves in the obligation, from June 2013 (RD 235/2013), to have a certificate of energy efficiency regulations to be able to buy or rent the property.
The outlook for the energy-efficient building market is very favorable. On the one hand, more investment. Specifically, the international market analyst Navigant Research published a study according to which the European market for energy-efficient products and services will amount to €80.8 billion in 2023, doubling the investment figure since 2014. Another key element in energy efficiency regulations is the proven profitability of betting on these methods. In this regard, the analyst points out that the most sophisticated building automation and control systems allow increasingly more data and identify a number of improvements, without incurring more costs or making them with very low.
But within the energy efficiency regulations derived from Directive 2012/27/EU not all are obligations. Recently in Spain, the Ministry of Industry, through the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), announced that it will allocate a budget of 168 million euros to carry out energy saving and efficiency projects. And it will do so for four lines of action: energy rehabilitation of buildings(PAREER-CRECE Program), transport, SMEs and large companies in the industrial sector and outdoor lighting.
These lines of action are materialized in different aid programs, endowed with funds from the General State Budget 2015 and the National Energy Efficiency Fund. The latter will make it possible to generate savings equivalent to 131 ktoe/year (1,523 GWh/year), which is equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 150,000 families.
Conclusions on energy efficiency regulations
In conclusion, the regulatory context related to Energy Efficiency currently aims to develop a harmonized framework to reduce energy dependence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the competitiveness of European countries and companies.
As we have seen, there are several sectors that benefit from both the incentives and the measures approved in the energy efficiency regulations. In the case of non-SMEs, they are particularly affected by the European Directive due to the obligation to apply certain practices before the end of 2015. And those who, with a business and cost optimization perspective, want to benefit from the implementation of an energy management system such as Smarkia, can take advantage of the opportunity to internalize the audit process and deploy an action plan with demonstrable savings according to the methodology ISO 50001.
If you have further questions about the implications of this Directive and how Smarkia can help your company to comply with energy efficiency regulations, please contact us.
