Energy efficiency: ENEA coordinates 9 European National Energy Agencies

Supporting member states in establishing and improving effective policies for SMEs to undergo energy audits and implement cost-effective recommended energy-saving measures. This is the priority of LEAP4SME  Linking Energy Audit Policies to enhance and support SMEs towards energy efficiency- funded under the Horizon 2020 programme. Under this main goal, three objectives will guide the Consortium activities: mapping the complex context of national and local support to SMEs, mobilising private stakeholders, proposing effective and realistic solutions to policy makers and policy implementers in terms of programme schemes and cross-cutting policy solutions embracing both energy and non-energy benefits. “We will analyse the SMEs energy policy scenario through the lens of a unique partnership of nine National Energy Agencies widely experienced in managing energy programmes. The public role of the participants will guarantee an added value of honest, thorough and impartial judgment during all phases of LEAP4SME. The Member States represented by the nine Agencies are homogeneously balanced on a territory enclosing the 41% of European SMEs. These aspects, together with the unique support received by nine Ministries and several stakeholders at National and International level - 37 letters of support from Governments, National and Regional Agencies, SMEs Business Associations – make us fully committed and confident to provide a solid piece of contribution to the SME energy & sustainability debate”, said the project coordinator Enrico Biele.

Provided a continuous interaction with policy makers as well as SMEs and ESCOs/Energy Auditors associations, a set of policy proposals and recommendations will be developed and diffused. The priorities guiding the schemes and policy development will be: effectiveness and orientation to real market needs; integration with other points of the EED, particularly article 7 Energy Efficiency Obligation Schemes and alternative measures; replicability, at least for SMEs sector/size/region. "LEAP4SME fits in the framework of the CSA H2020 programmes aimed to support national and international institutions in developing energy efficiency programmes for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. The project proposal has stimulated the interest of nine Ministry Departments plus several National Agencies within the European area. The topics are fully in line with both the Departmental and the Agency objectives guiding our 2020-2022 global strategy”, declared Ilaria Bertini, ENEA’s Department Unit Energy Efficiency Director.