Information/Technical Assistance

In 1980 an audit consultancy service for industrial enterprises was created and financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labour in collaboration with the Austrian Energy Consumer Association ("ÖEKV"). The underlying service contract (between ÖEKV and the ministry) for the year 2001 was the 13th of its kind. Since the programmes inception in 1980, more than 550 companies were audited and impressive potentials for improving energy efficiency in industrial companies were identified. As ÖEKV also proposes concrete measures for improvement it is demonstrated to companies that the payback periods are in many cases less than two years. These audits are free of charge for the interested companies. From 1998 through 2001, this programme has worked with 89 companies. These audits have identified 171 GWh of annual energy savings potential, an amount equal to 8.1% of the firms total energy use. For the period from 1998 to 2000 the audited firms consumed a total of 2.297 GWh, an amount equal to 1% of the total energy consumed in the industrial sector over that time and 0.3% of the country's total final consumption. The targeted potential savings from this programme are equal to 0.8% of the country's total final energy consumption. No comprehensive monitoring system has tabulated data on the actual realisation of these potential projects or the amount of energy that was ultimately saved. Austria disposes of a network of energy auditors covering all Federal Provinces. In order to facilitate access to this useful service, the Energy Efficiency Agency (EVA) has published a brochure listing all the energy auditors. To ensure minimum qualification standards, the ARGE Energieberaterausbildung has developed a multi-level training programme including the possibility of a university degree (post-graduate). In addition, in order to improve the communication skills of auditors, EVA holds seminars entitled Energy Auditing - Train the Trainer.