Energy savings

can change the approach to energy

“ENERGY EFFICIENCY” IS FOR MANY PEOPLE A RATHER VAGUE TERM. THE TOPIC OF ENERGY SAVINGS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR YEARS AND NOT MANY PEOPLE FIND IT ATTRACTIVE. IN RECENT YEARS, ENERGY SAVINGS HAVE BEEN CONNECTED ESPECIALLY WITH HOUSE INSULATION, WHICH GIVES THE IDEA THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE QUITE EXPENSIVE AND COMPLICATED, DUE TO WHICH NOT MUCH ATTENTION IS REALLY PAID TO IT.

However, energy savings are not just about thermal insulation. Of course, with most buildings, high-quality insulation can save the most energy on heating, however, it is necessary to calculate whether it really pays off , i.e., how long it takes to recover the investment. For example, in the case of apartment buildings it is often said that most such houses are already insulated, making the potential for low savings, however, it is necessary to keep in mind that the apartments are very often overheated, to 24 or 25 degrees Celsius, which is much more than needed. It involves changing people‘s behaviour and comfort, which is quite a diffi cult task and requires spreading the right information and approach in the long run.

: Motivation to save energy

For the most part, money is a very good motivator, nevertheless, motivation can be a combination of various factors and it is all about setting them up to perform their best. Even though we are currently experiencing several fl uctuations, for example in terms of energy prices, it is clear that in the long run the price of energy will rise, which will lead to considerations whether we need to consume more energy than currently being used. This is especially true for heating, as there applies the simple equation that for each degree of Celsius one will pay about 6 % extra for energy consumption, which makes quite a lot of money per year. There is no need to feel cold at home, but overheating should not pay off well, which is eventually a very important aspect.

Reducing energy consumption is certainly essential, that is why the reasoning and motivation is so important. Nevertheless, we usually do not have enough information and we often act impulsively. When considering whether my operating costs for energy consumption are unnecessarily high, I should consider all possible solutions, how much would each of them cost and mainly the benefi ts they would bring. - Not only in reducing energy costs, but also in better home comfort etc. That is the only way how to fi nd the best tailor-made solution, to fi nd out what would work best in my case. In most cases I won´t be able to discover it myself and will need to consult it with someone who really understands the matter.

: Obtaining information through counselling

How to get information on ways to reduce energy consumption? Of course, we can find a lot of information on the Internet, but this is usually general information that may or may not be appropriate for the given house. To get some basic introduction it is possible to visit some energy consultation and information centre (EKIS), where consultants provide advice and information on energy savings twice a week for free. The whole network of EKIS centres comprises over sixty centres throughout the Czech Republic, and their overview and relevant contacts are available at the website of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (www. mpo-efekt.cz). The knowledgeable energy specialists can provide good advice, which can be followed up by suggestion and proposal of specific solutions. This applies not only to household representatives, but also to entrepreneurs or government representatives. In addition, it is also possible to submit an electronic inquiry via the mentioned website and the EKIS consultants will answer it, moreover all questions and answers are published on the website. There are over 10,000 queries per year, all of them available online, thus offering a huge amount of information. EKIS centres are subsidized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade from the EFEKT program, running for many years. In addition, changes are being prepared so that EKIS representatives can provide advice not only „from the relevant office“, but also directly on the site. They can carry out an initial analysis for a specific object in the form of a „feasibility study“, including municipalities and cities.

These feasibility studies are not for free; however, they are directly funded by the EFEKT program. The owner of the property can be given a grant of up to 70 % of the price of the feasibility study development, depending on the type of building. For a detached house applies a lower subsidy and for example for schools and other buildings in the public sector a higher one. It is a relatively simple study including a proposal of all possible measures, their costs and benefi ts suggesting the best possible combination of all of them, the most advantageous for the “investor”. The call for the subsidies is open on an ongoing basis and interest is gradually growing. It is quite common in the Czech Republic that people prefer to deal with even more technically complex things on their own. The house insulation does not seem so complicated, however, with an unprofessional approach a less advantageous solution may be chosen.

: Quality information fi rst..., then eventually subsidies

Currently, the decision making, especially in the public sector, is far too infl uenced by a chance to receive a subsidy. Another mistake is a choice of a specifi c technology without having any comparison with other solutions. This applies for example to the recently popular „photovoltaics“ on the roof or for

heat pumps. Even high-quality installation can represent only a half-way solution, lasting for many years, without even realizing more benefi cial solutions could have been used.

The general principal of all good energy saving projects should be first to attain information about what could be done to achieve the goal, how to implement it, how much it will cost, but most importantly, what it will bring. The investor should have this information to choose the appropriate combination of solutions and procedures that will have the greatest effect and save his costs. Of course, renewable energy sources, including photovoltaic, are among the options considered, but they pay off the most in combination with other energy-saving measures. The investor should know renewable energy sources do not reduce final energy consumption but are only a replacement for the existing energy source, usually mains. They can reduce operating costs but not energy consumption, and when combined with energy saving measures, this can pay off even more. It would be a mistake to install a renewable source individually only because there is a subsidy for it or because it seems to be a good solution.

: Various ways of energy savings in cities and regions

In the public sector, this is the standard approach for example for some projects using the concept of providing energy services with a guaranteed result, so called EPC method - Energy Performance Contracting. This concept is more complex but with a well-prepared project brings surprisingly good results. In the case of such projects, it is very important that the selected and contracted energy service provider is liable for the agreed volume of energy savings. Technical measures are always combined in such a way that their effects complement each other, and especially important is that it applies not only for the period of the guaranteed energy service provision, which can be over 10 years, but also afterwards.

This method is applicable especially for city-owned buildings. It is optimal to group several properties into one project; to fi nd out whether the properties are suitable for the mentioned method, the subsidy from the Ministry of Industry and Trade within the EFEKT program is provided. In addition, several standard and sample documents are published on the MIT website, for example in the form of a model contract, including draft technical annexes, a methodology for applying EPC in the public sector, and a code of ethics for applying EPC. Furthermore, a list of energy service providers is published on the MIT website and certifi cation of EPC projects and energy service companies is under preparation. The essentials of the contractual relationship in the provision of energy services have been included in the Act No. 406/2000 Coll. on energy management since 2015. The EPC method was originally devised for use in public sector buildings and can be considered the ultimate form of energy management.

: What exactly is energy management?

The implementation of energy management can be simply defined as the systematic care of a particular object in relation to energy consumption. First, it is necessary to gather information about the state of the building in terms of energy supply and consumption, as well as data on energy consumption itself, i.e., optimally monthly data on energy consumption in technical units and financial terms. These are data on energy for heating (e.g., heat, natural gas, coal, or electricity (for electricity heating)), data on energy consumption for water heating and electricity consumption for home appliances and other devices. These data should be evaluated and assessed whether it is worthwhile to deploy some of the measures to reduce energy consumption and how. This can be done in a relatively simple way in person or various measuring, regulating, and monitoring elements and systems can be installed, that will perform most such activities automatically.

To introduce energy management, entities in both the public and business sector can also use a grant from the EFEKT program. These are incentive subsidies that are not intended for investment, but for motivation to achieve energy savings. However, the EFEKT program provides additional subsidies for incentive measures that can help reduce energy consumption. The time of mere investment subsidies is hopefully behind. It is necessary to change the approach and focus on motivation, so that the ways of reducing energy consumption and thus its costs are of interest to energy consumers.

#Vladimír Sochor, Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, the director of energy effi ciency and savings department