Good practice:

ReLEE – Regional solutions for energy efficiency and utilization of renewable energies

Energy efficiency measures are mentioned in all relevant existing or planned energy concepts or strategies at regional, national or European level. This has found direct expression in Austria's current Energy Efficiency Act, where the implementation of energy efficiency measures got mandatory for big companies within the framework of energy audits or energy management systems. New/further challenges in the areas of logistics, distribution and storage of renewable energy are the result as well.
Within the project ReLEE structured analysis of regional energy consumption in the areas of "buildings, processes and mobility" are required for the Landes Holding Burgenland subsidiary companies, including the implementation of research projects for the development of accompanying energy efficiency measures and implementation plans. In addition to achieving energy savings, the use of regionally produced renewable energy is promoted.

Objectives:
• Identifying saving potentials in complex systems of buildings and processes incl. action plan and implementation strategy.
• Utilization of regionally produced renewable energy in Burgenland
• Solutions and optimization of energy distribution networks using flexibility options

Funding EFRE € 785.340,00
National funding € 196.335,00
Total € 981.675,00
About 60% for Staff Costs and 40 % for external experts and equipment costs

Through the ReLEE project the ISO 50001 energy management system certification was achieved for the Landes Holding Burgenland which comprise more than 60 small and medium sized companies. One of the key success factors was to gather a comprehensive data base (energy metering) to identify the big consumers and the areas with high energy loss. Furthermore, synergies were determined through the different companies and scalability of the set energy efficiency measures was reached.

ReLEE aimed to reach the certification with a joint-approach of the management system over the whole Landes Holding and their subsidiary companies. Several energy efficiency measures were applied with the jointly implemented energy efficiecy management systems.

Energy Management Systems lead to direct implementation of energy efficiency measures. Through ReLEE and the joint-approach of the EMS it was learned how to identify scalable energy efficiency measures and furthermore to use synergies trough the broad landscape (different branches) of subsidiary companies. Through access to the energy database companies of the holding can easily figure out their saving potential by comparing themselves to companies with similar and also different structures within the holding. The advantage is to shorten the process of identification, in several cases, especially for small companies it is an obstacle to hardly overcome. To procced early with the implementation process of energy efficiency measures saves a lot of financial and human resources which furthermore supports and simplify the implementation of energy efficiency measures.