Quick guide to Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) compliance published
Following the release of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) guidance documentation and consultation responses by DECC, energy management consultancy CMR has published a user-friendly quick guide to the scheme.
ESOS is the UK’s response to Article 8 of the European Energy Efficiency Directive. The new legislation, announced on 26 June 2014, requires all ‘Large Enterprises’, with an annual turnover in excess of €50 million, to carry out mandatory energy efficiency audits of their undertakings before 5 December 2015.
To achieve ESOS compliance, audits must measure energy consumption and identify cost-effective energy savings opportunities across buildings, industry processes and transport. The legislation will affect more than 7,000 organisations, including public and private companies, trusts and some not-for-profit sectors. Audits will need to be repeated every four years
The government has announced a number of routes to compliance, including new ESOS compliant energy audits, ISO 50001 certification, Green Deal Assessments and Display Energy Certificates (DECs). Where organisations are fully covered by ISO 50001, there is no necessity to perform additional audits, but where not, additional measures will be required.
While audit work can be carried out by suitably qualified individuals, an organisation’s overall compliance with ESOS must be verified by an accredited lead auditor – listed on an Environment Agency approved register.
Chris Doubleday, Energy & Water Consultant at CMR, said: “DECC’s efforts to simplify compliance and make use of existing schemes provide organisations with a real opportunity to meet their own wider goals, while complying with ESOS. CMR recognise that ESOS will not be a ‘one size fits all’ approach and will work with organisations to design bespoke strategies for compliance by assessing what qualifying work has been carried out already and determining the ‘best fit’ approach moving forwards.”
The government estimates that ESOS will help organisations reduce business energy costs by at least £250m by 2016, and a total of £1.6 billion by 2030. The Carbon Trust, however, believes that potential savings could be two to three times higher.
Chris Doubleday added: “Carefully considered, ESOS represents an excellent opportunity for organisations to stimulate a step change improvement in energy efficiency, laying the foundations for a more resilient and sustainable future.”
Download the Quick Guide to Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) compliance at: www.cmrgroup.co.uk/ESOS
