An energy efficiency project is aimed at reducing energy consumption in a building or in technology – typically through insulation, replacing the heat source, heat recovery, lighting modernisation, or adapting production equipment. The decisive criterion is not the investment itself but the demonstrable saving expressed in kilowatt-hours per year, which must be documented by an energy audit or project assessment. Providers often set a minimum percentage saving and a maximum cost per unit of energy saved. After implementation, consumption is monitored, and failing to reach the declared value can lead to a reduction in the contribution. For companies, it is additionally assessed whether the measure is not already mandatory by law, since fulfilling a legal obligation is generally not funded. The budget should therefore also include measurement and monitoring of consumption, which will demonstrate the saving achieved throughout the entire sustainability period.
See also: Grants for Energy Audits, Modernisation Fund.
