December 11, 2024, Chisinau - The Ministry of Energy is intensifying energy efficiency efforts among companies in the country. In this context, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Regulation on conducting energy audits by large enterprises.

 

This initiative responds to the critical need to reduce excessive energy consumption, in the context where over 50% of the energy consumed in the country is intended for building maintenance. It is worth noting that, for the maintenance of one square meter of a building in the Republic of Moldova, twice as much energy is consumed than in European Union countries.

 

In this context, the Regulation introduces a strict framework for monitoring and reporting energy consumption, based on the latest measurement and evaluation technologies. The document introduces the obligation for large enterprises to conduct energy audits once every four years. These audits are essential for identifying energy saving potential and implementing effective measures to reduce consumption. The Regulation also encourages the implementation of energy or environmental management systems, which will contribute to the continuous optimization of the use of energy resources.

 

In addition, the Regulation provides for the creation of support mechanisms for the targeted enterprises, including the possibility of accessing funds in the form of grants for the implementation of energy efficiency measures.

 

Thus, by approving the Regulation, the optimization of the consumption of energy resources by large industrial consumers is aimed, which would lead to the reduction of energy consumption at the national level, the increase of the competitiveness of products and services provided by the respective entities, as well as the increase of the state's energy security.

 

It is worth noting that the list of large enterprises that will be obliged to carry out energy audits will be generated by the National Bureau of Statistics, and the National Center for Sustainable Energy (CNED) and the Ministry of Energy will have key roles in monitoring and implementing this regulation. CNED, in particular, will coordinate the implementation of energy audits, verify and validate their results, ensure the training and certification of energy auditors and supervise the implementation of energy efficiency measures proposed in the audit reports.

 

The project was developed with the support of UNDP and the EU and promoted with the assistance of the Expertise France project, AFD Group.