Forcing large companies to assess their energy efficiency
will save £1.9 billion over 15 years, says Decc in a consultation outlining a
scheme due to launch in 2015.
To meet the requirements of the EU’s Energy Efficiency
Directive (2012/27/EU), all large companies – those with more than 250
employees and an annual turnover exceeding €50 million – will have to complete
an assessment of their energy consumption every four years. The assessment, the
first of which must be completed by December 2015, must be completed by an
“approved assessor” and produce a list of “cost-effective efficiency measures”
that the firm can implement.
According to Decc, if companies implement just 6% of the
measures identified by the assessments they will save a cumulative £1.9 billion
over 2015-2030. And, if uptake is greater the savings could be as high as £3
billion.
The energy department is proposing a mandatory energy
savings opportunity scheme (ESOS) to meet the requirements of the Directive.
Under the ESOS companies will be required to report an energy intensity ratio
(such as energy use per unit of production), which will be used to measure
improvement.
In a bid to reduce the cost of complying with the scheme,
firms will be able to use energy data collected for other regulated programmes,
such as the carbon reduction commitment energy efficiency scheme and the EU
emissions trading scheme. Decc also confirms that the ESOS will not apply to
public organisations or to corporate groups where every UK company is an SME.
In its consultation, the energy department asks for views on
the possibility of companies being able to exclude certain buildings or
processes from audits provided that, when added together, these total no more
than a small percentage of overall energy spend.
Decc is also seeking feedback on whether firms that have
certified ISO 50001
or ISO 14001
management systems should be classed as ESOS compliant, and whether the scheme
should be managed by the Environment Agency, the National Measurement Office or
Trading Standards.
The consultation, which closes on 3 October 2013, sets out
proposals for transitional arrangements for the first audits in 2015. Decc
acknowledges that firms that have achieved the Carbon Trust standard, for
example, may have already met the Directive’s requirements with regards to energy audits. However,
the document confirms that, post-2015, all assessments will have to be
undertaken by approved assessors to ensure a “consistent standard of advice”.
Decc also outlines two potential options for how to approve
ESOS assessors. One would see assessors certified to conduct ESOS assessments
by UKAS-approved certification bodies. The alternative option would require the
scheme’s administrator to approve registers of assessors held by professional
bodies, such as IEMA.
In launching the consultation, energy secretary Ed Davey
said: “Our proposals aim to provide for a proportionate and better regulation
approach, with the objective of yielding net benefits for the UK as a result of
additional energy saving.”
The government has until 5 June 2014 to transpose the
requirements of the Energy Efficiency Directive into UK law. Davey confirmed
that it aims to have legislation published in spring 2014.
Head of Environment, Richard Ball commented ‘ this is
potentially a win win situation, organisations will get financial savings and
carbon emissions will be reduced. But the reports need to be effective and
beneficial to those commissioning them. It is clear energy use and carbon
management is on the government’s agenda driving the UK into towards a low
carbon economy it this area.’
CRS Environment: Make a Difference
Source Environmentalist
No comments:
Post a Comment