ENACE helps to achieve cost savings of up to 80%

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Interview of Alfredo Paz, CEO ENACE, the National Entity of Energy Auditors and Certifiers in Buildings.

EfikosNews: The National Entity of Energy Auditors and Certifiers in Buildings (ENACE) is a non-profit organization that contributes in an important manner to improving buildings’ energy efficiency. Which are its functions and aims?

Alfredo Paz: Among other missions ENACE prepares, trains and federates technicians in the field of energy efficiency in line with national standards, but also European and international criteria and protocols.

The first aim is to ensure suitably skilled professionals that comply with the transposition of the requirements of Directive 2012/27/EU in Spain, not only as external energy auditors but also as technicians working for distributors and suppliers or as technical interlocutors in companies, industry or public administrations, among others. The second aim is to build confidence among companies that operate on the Spanish market in order to boost employment of local energy auditors.

EfikosNews: ¿In what consists the Brand ENACE and what does it refer to? Why is it needed?

Alfredo Paz: The brand ENACE refers to the professional profile of technicians that comply with ENACE’s criteria in line with national standards but also European and international standards and protocols. It facilitates free movement of these technicians regardless of their country of origin.

EfikosNews: The Entity has become a reference in energy efficiency in the construction sector. What do you think about the implementation of energy certifications in Spain? Are we aware of the need for change towards higher energy savings in order to comply with EU law?

Alfredo Paz: The transposition measures of Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings that were taken by the Government have not been ambitious enough and allow any engineering professional to issue energy certificates for residential buildings. This situation has lead not only to a price dumping, but also to a quality dumping from which consumers suffer. Consumers therefore perceive energy certificates as an undue tax measure.

By building capacity and stimulating the effective market uptake of energy improvements in the residential sector, ENACE helps to achieve cost savings of up to 80%. In order to communicate about this line of action we are represented each year with a stand at the international real estate fair SIMA in Madrid where we are at the disposal of visitors for answering questions and clarifying doubts.

 

EfikosNews: ENACE also plays an important role in the field of training. Could you tell us more about this action? Who can enroll in the training that ENACE offers? Which courses do you offer?

Alfredo Paz: ENACE’s training Department is supervised by Francisco González Montalvo, expert representing Spain at the European Standardization Committee (CEN), University Profesor and Industrial Engineer, who designs each course or specialization module in conformity with national laws and regulations, but also European and international standards and protocols so as to effectively remove barriers to the free movement of technicians that take these classes, facilitating them to offer their services in other countries than Spain.

The courses focus exclusively on energy audits. They are structured according to general and specialisation modules leaving up to the student to decide about the orientation that he or she wants to give to his or her professional career. In this sense the basic course is directed to junior employees in enterprises, the expert module is directed to energy experts in companies, industry or public administration and the superior module or Lead auditor prepares external and autonomous auditors who additionally to advanced knowledge about energy savings and efficiency aquires skills in the field of organization, supervision and control and the necessary knowledge about finance and energy markets.

 

Efikosnews: ENACE collaborates with various platforms in the real estate and renovation sectors to provide jobs to the technicians who are authorized to use the brand ENACE. How do these collaborations work? Which are the results?

Alfredo Paz: Indeed, in an independent and non-profit manner several important platforms in the real estate and renovation sectors have been joining ENACE’s initiative about energy savings, which consists in informing and encouraging the users of these platforms to count with the professional services of technicians that comply with ENACE’s competence requirements to realice energy audits and certifications, in order to effectively reduce their energy bills.

EfikosNews: As an expert in the fields of energy efficiency and savings, what are your middle and long term perspectives about sustainable construction? Is there still much left to be done or have important successes already be achieved?

Alfredo Paz: There is much left to be done. The first keystone is the year 2020: until then we commited to reduce Spain’s energy bill by 20%, and then comes 2030 and the target that we are seeking for is a reduction by 30% in order to reach positive energy buildings by 2050.