Businesses offered support to cut energy and water use
Scheme will include practical guidance on how to be more energy efficient
Businesses will be able to receive support to assess their energy and water use under a new scheme aimed at helping them reduce consumption and operating costs.
The Energy Performance Assessment for Enterprises Scheme was launched by Energy Minister Miriam Dalli, who said the initiative was intended to give businesses practical guidance on how to become more efficient.
Dalli said energy performance assessments could help companies better understand how they use energy, identify waste and improve their operations.
“Through this scheme, we are providing enterprises with the practical support and expertise they need to better understand their energy use, reduce operating costs and become more competitive,” she said.
The scheme forms part of Malta’s wider efforts to move towards a climate-neutral economy and is linked to the government’s Malta Vision 2050 plans.
It is divided into two streams, depending on an enterprise’s level of energy consumption.
Businesses with low energy consumption may receive a free energy performance assessment, including on-site visits, tailored recommendations and expert guidance. Medium energy-consuming enterprises may receive financial assistance to carry out an assessment and identify ways to reduce energy and water use.
Energy and Water Agency chief executive Sandro Lauri said the scheme was intended to help enterprises make better-informed decisions on energy and water efficiency.
He said tailored assessments and expert guidance could help businesses move from identifying potential improvements to putting them into practice.
The launch event brought together representatives from government, industry, academia and the energy auditing sector.
It included a presentation on the LEAPto11 project, a session on the standardisation of energy assessments and a panel discussion on the lessons learnt from energy audits.
Representatives from the University of Malta, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, industry experts and the Malta Chamber of SMEs discussed challenges, good practices and future opportunities in energy and water performance.
The scheme is open to enterprises registered with the Malta Business Registry and self-employed people with a valid VAT number. Applications are now open through the Energy and Water Agency’s website.