09 Sep Energy saving at zero cost

More than 100 participants at Workshop regarding energy effciency measures organized by ENEA

Ravenna – Is it expensive to save energy? And are high investments required to install capital-intensive equipment? In the webinar organized by ENEA as part of the GEAR@SME project in September, entitled “Saving at zero cost: how to deal with the free energy market”, experts and representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) discussed these questions. The goal was to raise awareness among the more than 100 participants about how to reduce energy costs in SMEs.

First, SMEs should understand what is happening, believes Francesco Baldi of GEAR@SME partner ENEA. SMEs can benefit from many types of monitoring measures, with much of the information they need already included in their monthly energy bills: the amount of energy they use, how much they pay for it, when they use it, and more. This was explained by energy expert Biagio di Pietra from ENEA in his presentation, pointing out some simple but still not well known aspects, such as the hidden costs of reactive energy.

But what specifically can SMEs do after learning about their energy bills? The main goal of the GEAR@SME project is certainly to drive the implementation of energy efficiency measures, but sometimes, especially given the complexity of the free energy market, it is enough to avoid pitfalls in choosing the right energy supplier and the right energy contract. Saverio Magni of AssoEGE explained how this market works, the benefits it offers and the risks it poses, raising awareness of rising energy prices and how companies can deal with them.

This task can be overwhelming for an SME, especially the smallest ones. And yet, there are some alternatives to simply making a decision with a limited amount of expertise and information. Fabio Zambelli of CEE explained the experience of a well-known aggregator in which SMEs join forces and share their resources to obtain energy services, from the joint purchase of supply contracts to energy audits, under the supervision of an expert. At the end of the event, a fruitful, lively final discussion where a lot of opinions and views were exchanged.

By ENEA