The Growing Role of Energy Efficiency in Public Administration
Historically, the role of the Public Administration has been to drive, promote, support and create a framework in which companies contribute their knowledge and experience in the different sectors, enabling citizens to improve their well-being every day and to be able to count on a multitude of services that perfectly cover their needs.
Nowadays, there is a clear change of priorities in society that also pushes administrations to promote new measures linked to efficiency and sustainability.
This is the subject of this article: how public administrations can implement energy-saving plans and reduce their energy consumption. If you’re interested, keep on reading!
Public Administration and Energy Efficiency
The Government, along with individuals and businesses, have witnessed a rise in their energy expenses in recent years, primarily attributable to the escalation of electricity and gas prices. Both the public administration and sectors as diverse as residential and industrial share a common ability to enact measures aimed at curbing energy costs.
Given circumstances like the surge in energy prices or energy-saving policies for individuals and companies, government bodies can no longer remain passive observers and are actively adopting energy-saving measures. The public is increasingly calling for heightened efforts, and government entities are acutely aware of this demand, focusing their endeavours in this realm.
The adage “What gets measured gets improved” holds true in the context of monitoring various energy sources, including electricity, gas, water, and diesel consumption. Such monitoring empowers them to subsequently invest in initiatives that enhance building efficiency, thereby yielding positive outcomes for citizens and contributing to cost reduction.
How to save Energy in Public Administrations?
Energy-saving measures within the government mainly involve a change in consumption practices. We are all aware of this and, as a result, we are making commendable progress. The increase in investment in energy efficiency and sustainability is proof, complemented by the sound advice and support provided by the various grants regularly awarded by central and regional governments.
Public administration can also benefit from these grants. For example, these subsidies are particularly beneficial when they are directed towards initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by modifying heating systems, switching to biomass, using aerothermal/geothermal energy, improving lighting and, in particular, implementing photovoltaic systems as part of the self-consumption model, despite their relatively longer payback period.
The latter, photovoltaic self-consumption, has emerged as the primary investment choice for local councils and government bodies. It offers a means for various models, whether individual, collective, or community-based energy, to effectively reduce their energy expenditures with a relatively modest initial outlay.
This can be attributed, in part, to the subsidies provided at a national level and efficiently managed within the different autonomous communities by the respective competent authorities. Nevertheless, this isn’t always straightforward due to the substantial volume of applications received and the perpetual nature of the sun as an energy source.
In this regard, Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) like Enermetrik possess the capability to conduct a comprehensive technical-economic assessment. They offer invaluable assistance by not only executing these projects but also concurrently managing the various subsidies aimed at promoting this energy-saving measure, thereby ensuring its success and enabling its full implementation. This is particularly crucial because, in general, government bodies lack the requisite personnel to undertake such projects independently.
The Importance of Energy Monitoring
We’ve already stressed the significance of monitoring for effective and sustained energy management, along with energy conservation measures (ECMs). Nonetheless, it’s crucial to bear in mind that administrations have long been obliged to comply with energy efficiency legislation, especially concerning the regulations of autonomous communities.
To meet their objectives and execute this monitoring efficiently, government bodies must possess a mechanism or software that enables them to submit their annual consumption data within the first quarter of the subsequent year. Furthermore, they should also employ such software to carry out energy management and conduct energy audits every four years for public buildings with a consumption exceeding 70kW. Additionally, they are required to conduct energy audits for their public lighting, hold energy certificates for all their buildings, and actively promote and implement training and mobility plans, a task by no means straightforward.
To facilitate these tasks, Energy Management Systems like the Spacewell Energy Platform (Dexma) offer the means to centralise and optimise all of this management.
Barriers in Public Administration for Energy Saving Projects
Lastly, it is imperative to discuss the obstacles and challenges that government bodies encounter daily when striving to implement these measures and actions. Undoubtedly, meeting the rigorous benchmarks established by Europe concerning energy and climate change is no small feat.
It’s essential to remember that these two aspects are closely intertwined, as the primary source of energy production derives from the conversion and consumption of fossil fuels. Currently, energy consumption is responsible for a substantial 79% of greenhouse gas emissions within the European Union. Furthermore....