Is your company not efficient? An Energy Audit can help.

6 January, 2022

Managing energy well is critical today – due to costs, competitiveness, and environmental commitment.
The energy audit is the tool that identifies waste, quantifies opportunities, and defines an action plan to reduce consumption and emissions with economic returns.

Who is required to conduct audits (and how often)?

In alignment with the European Energy Efficiency Directive, Decree-Law No. 68-A/2015 requires companies that are not SMEs to conduct energy audits every 4 years.
Even when not mandatory, auditing is worthwhile: it reduces costs, improves processes, and prepares for certification (ISO 50001).

What is an energy audit, after all?

It is a technical study, conducted according to best practices (e.g., ISO 50002 / EN 16247), that:

Characterizes consumption by process/equipment and identifies inefficiencies;
Proposes improvement measures (both technological and operational), with estimated savings, investment, and payback;
Defines an implementation and monitoring plan to ensure results.

Practical benefits (what changes in your operation)

Lower immediate costs: tariff optimization, power factor correction, and reduction of peaks.
More availability and productivity: preventive maintenance replaces corrective maintenance, reducing downtime.
Energy costs per product/process: better pricing formation and margin control.
Less emissions (CO₂) and improved ESG performance.
Technical foundation for applications for energy efficiency grants and incentives.

What we need to get started (data and access)

Description of the activity and EAC (Economic Activity Code);
Energy invoices and contracts (electricity and others) from the last 12–24 months;
Inventory of equipment and process diagrams;
Identification of major consumers (production lines, HVAC, compressed air, refrigeration, IT/servers, etc.);
Internal energy manager or focal point;
Reports from previous audits (if available);
Delimitation of the areas to be audited.

How the audit process works (stages)

Kick-off & data collection
Validation of objectives, boundaries, and KPIs (kWh, kWh/unit, kWh/m², kWh/h).
Measurement campaigns
Temporary installation of loggers/analyzers in QGBT/QD, compressed air, HVAC, etc.
Technical visit and mapping
On-site observation, interviews, and verification of operational regimes.
Analysis and benchmarking
Load curves, simultaneity factors, losses, schedules, and seasonality.
Action plan
Prioritized list with savings (kWh/€), CAPEX, OPEX, payback, and risk.
Report and roadmap
Delivery of the report and implementation schedule with quick wins and strategic projects.

Examples of typical measures (and why they work)

Peak management and tariff optimization → reduces costs without affecting production.
High-efficiency motors + variable speed drives → adjusts power to the real load.
LED lighting + control systems → lower consumption and better light quality.
Optimized HVAC → setpoints, free cooling, heat recovery.
Compressed air → leak detection, optimal pressure, heat recovery.
Photovoltaic self-consumption → reduces purchased energy and exposure to price fluctuations.

What you receive at the end (deliverables)

Technical report with diagnosis, baseline, and opportunities.
Measure sheet: description, investment, savings, payback, and priority.
Map of avoided emissions (CO₂e) and contribution to ESG goals.
Implementation plan and monitoring model (measurement & verification, e.g., IPMVP).

And after the audit?

The audit only creates value when the actions are implemented.
Enbiente provides ongoing support: technical execution, team training, monitoring (EnbiTrack), and continuous optimization – ensuring that the estimated savings become real and sustainable savings.

Why Enbiente?

We combine precision engineering and data accuracy with a practical approach focused on economic return and operational safety.
Our experience in industry, services, and technical buildings ensures robust, executable, and auditable solutions.