Energy management is becoming mandatory for more companies

28.05.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The deadline is over: Energy-intensive companies must introduce an energy management system by July 18. However, Deneff warns against weakening the legal requirements.

By July 18, 2025 at the latest, all companies with an annual final energy consumption of more than 7.5 million kWh must introduce an energy management system (EnMS) in accordance with the Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG) (we reported). At the same time, the Energy Efficiency Business Initiative (Deneff) is appealing to the new German government to protect and strengthen this important and proven instrument.

Deneff had previously criticized the announcement in the coalition agreement as "very vague". It states that "achievable CO2 avoidance" is to become the central control parameter. The initiative fears that this could lead to "rollbacks in proven efficiency standards and targets in the Energy Efficiency Act".

The target in the Energy Efficiency Act has been completely wrongly targeted by the reduction in bureaucracy, the association emphasized in a statement on 27 May. "It is unacceptable that we continue to transfer tens of billions to autocratic regimes for avoidable energy imports - just because we leave our efficiency potential unrecognized and unused," explains Tatjana Ruhl, Head of Decarbonization of Industry at Deneff. Energy management is an indispensable prerequisite for Germany and Europe to become economically and climate-politically independent.

EU requirements put pressure to act

Deneff also points out that the measures taken so far to implement the EU Energy Efficiency Directive are not sufficient in Germany. Christian Noll, Managing Director of Deneff, emphasizes: "Germany is on the verge of infringement proceedings in relation to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. The national measures that Germany has reported to Brussels so far are far from sufficient". Political backing is therefore needed for successful measures such as energy management.

Companies would also benefit from this. According to calculations by the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, the economically achievable savings volume in the German economy is around 410 billion kWh - 162 billion kWh of which have a payback period of less than three years. According to the association, this corresponds to potential energy cost savings of up to 25 billion euros per year. With precise knowledge of where this potential lies in the individual company, systems could then be controlled in line with demand, outdated technology replaced, waste heat losses reduced or reused, for example.

EnMS in accordance with ISO 50001 have also been widespread in Germany for years, particularly in companies with an energy consumption of 5 million kWh or more. Germany tops the list of certified companies in the international ISO statistics. According to Deneff, many medium-sized companies are now also using an EnMS.

Author: Heidi Roider