Background to Energy Audit'06

International and European programmes call for more energy efficient, sustainable approaches in improving access to reliable, economically viable and environmentally sound energy services, and achieving the emission reduction targets. Among implementation of international programmes national energy audit programmes, projects and results form a stable proof of feasible methodologies to meet that challenge.

In the EU about 40% of total final energy consumption is used in buildings. In industrial sector the energy use has decreased from some 40% of 1980’s to today’s 28% of total final energy consumption largely due to decreased energy demand in the sector through improvements in energy efficiency and structural changes. However, in many countries energy efficiency is still low and needs to be improved through advanced efficient technologies, methods and energy management. Energy auditing has proved to be one of the most efficient methods in search of improving energy efficiency of buildings and industrial processes.

European co-operation

Most of the local or national actions can be tracked to, if not to international extent but to bilateral experience sharing at least. In the field of energy auditing European co-operation did not really exist until SAVE project AUDIT I in 1998. With AUDIT I and AUDIT II (2000-2002) projects the knowledge and understanding on energy auditing was developed to a level which today forms a solid base for all programme developers. This development would never have taken place without the trans-national feature provided by the SAVE II Programme. Still, the most valuable outcome from the AUDIT projects might very well be the platform, which made continuous sharing of experience possible among a group of dedicated experts.

Audit’99 Conference

International Energy Audit Conference Audit’99 in October 1999 gathered the state-of-art knowledge, expertise and audience to exchange the current methodologies and tools to improve energy efficiency through energy auditing. The knowledge and information collected in the AUDIT I project on the status of different European countries, as well as the experiences and developments in North America were presented and discussed in the Conference.

AUDIT II project focused on the issues further and produced methods and tools for implementation of energy audit activities. The project partners also took the initiative to establish an Energy Audit Operating Agent Network, which today operates actively as a Working Group in EnR - European Energy network.

Energy Audit’06

The Energy Audit’06 Conference will contribute to the progress with focus on the specific interest to exchange and exploit the experiences and expertise as well as proven methodologies and tools gained from the EU programmes and the cooperation of member states in developing capacity and concrete methods and tools at European level to be implemented for national and local actions. Furthermore, the Energy Audit’06 Conference will demonstrate with realised examples that the energy audit programmes, methodologies and tools in practice contribute in implementing international and national energy policies, and achieving the international commitments and national targets in increasing energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources as well as reducing the greenhouse gas emissions.