Energy Efficiency – 2023 Revised Directive
The European Union has set an ambitious target, to reduce overall energy consumption and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (by at least 55% from 1990 levels). In this context, the EU commission adopted the Energy Efficiency Directive in 2012, updated in 2018 and 2023, setting rules and obligations towards the EU’s energy efficiency targets.
The 2023 Revised Directive raises the EU energy efficiency target, making it legally binding for EU countries to collectively ensure an additional 11.7% reduction in energy consumption by 2030, compared to the projected energy use for 2030 (based on the 2020 reference scenario). Under the updated rules, EU countries have agreed to help achieve the EU target by setting indicative national contributions in energy savings.
This increase in energy saving targets have fallen on the Obligated Parties (OPs), through the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme. Therefore, OPs must take on the challenge of delving deeper into the energy consumption, to find new and greater measures that allow for additional energy savings.
To optimise energy savings in the industrial sector, the directive expands the scope of energy audit obligations to include all those companies, regardless of their size, which are consuming energy above a certain threshold. Therefore, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would also have to carry out an energy audit, where there is significant energy saving potential. Meanwhile, the directive makes energy management systems a mandatory requirement for large industrial energy consumers to monitor and optimise their energy efficiency.
The revised directive also puts a stronger focus on alleviating energy poverty. It aims at empowering consumers through stronger requirements for EU countries to raise awareness and provide information on energy efficiency.
Although the increase in energy targets is a new challenge for OPs, from Flogas Enterprise we see great opportunity for energy consumers to be part of this change. We encourage all corporates and Residential customers to work on energy efficiency as a first energy measure for reducing cost and carbon emissions. At Flogas Enterprise we are committed to helping energy consumers to save energy through technical or financial support or a combination of both under the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS).
At Flogas Enterprise we know that the cheapest and greenest energy is the energy that is not consumed. We believe that Energy Efficiency should be a cornerstone for all energy consumers, to reduce their energy demand and with it: costs and carbon emissions. If you are a large energy user and would like to more about the 2023 Energy Efficiency Revised Directive contact Diego at: diego.vila@flogas.ie.
