2023-07-25 06:47:54
Energy efficiency is the sinews of war for any company, whatever its field of activity. It is a strategic choice that Tunisian SMEs must adopt, because the “energy” component is, today, an adjustment factor, impacting the competitiveness of companies.
Reducing energy waste allows the company to control its expenses and improve the competitiveness of its product or the service it offers. Indeed, energy efficiency is defined as the point of balance between the energy consumed and that expended by a building. In other words, it represents the energy optimization of a building. Investments in energy efficiency make it possible to achieve an optimal level of energy and avoid additional costs on the energy bill linked to overconsumption. This is therefore a major challenge for Tunisian SMEs in a context where energy costs continue to increase due to the rise in the price of hydrocarbons.
The energy represents nearly 60% of operating cost
Have Tunisian companies taken charge of this energy challenge that is imposed on them? According to Sihem Baccouche, responsible for the energy efficiency component within the “Power Tunisia” program, the energy issue has now become a priority for economic actors, because energy-related expenses continue to burden their budgets and therefore compromise their competitiveness.
However, what prevents them from taking action and undertaking an entire energy optimization strategy is the high cost of the technologies in which to invest. “Tunisian companies are aware of the importance of energy efficiency but the problem is how to invest in it because often the technology is expensive. Implementing a new energy efficiency technology requires fairly significant financial resources. Companies want to make improvements, carry out maintenance, invest in a second production line, vary the products rather than invest in energy efficiency. It is a new culture that must be anchored among economic players. But it must be said that they are fully aware of the importance of energy efficiency as an asset,” she added.
She specified, in this context, that the energy burden weighs more and more on the private sector which pulls the devil by the tail. “Energy represents almost 60% of the cost of operation. The increase in the energy bill is in the process of impacting the competitiveness of products. If a company wants to reduce its costs, it must intervene at the level of energy consumption, because we cannot act either on the quality of the raw material, or on the number of employees or the financial costs of the banks. The waste of energy has a direct impact on the cost of the product. If we eliminate waste and leaks, we would be able to improve the competitiveness of the product. This is where the energy audit becomes important,” she said.
Reduce waste Energy
Indeed, to adopt an energy efficiency approach, the energy audit is the very first step to be taken. It consists of a methodical and detailed evaluation of a building’s energy performance. The audit aims to analyze energy consumption and identify sources of waste. This in-depth assessment then makes it possible to determine the actions likely to reduce waste and energy consumption.
It is an essential tool for companies wishing to reduce their energy bills. “Aiming for energy efficiency means starting by analyzing and interpreting the energy situation. If we can’t diagnose, we can’t find solutions. How can we find opportunities to improve efficiency or energy consumption without having diagnosed and reviewed in detail our problems?” underlined, in this regard, Sihem Baccouche. In Tunisia, more than 1,900 regulatory energy audits, supervised by the National Agency for Energy Management (Anme), have been carried out since 2004, resulting in programs implemented in conjunction with the agency and cumulative energy savings.
In fact, to carry out an energy audit and initiate an energy efficiency approach, the company must contact an energy efficiency expert registered on the list of specialists accredited by ANME. The latter is responsible for drawing up an audit report which will be submitted for approval by the Agency. Once the report has been approved, actions to optimize energy consumption in the building are identified and a program contract will be signed with Anme, under which a bonus can be released for the benefit of the company. The company can also use the Energy Transition Fund, which can finance up to 70% of the costs of the energy audit. Also, other programs such as “Power Tunisia” provide production units with donations but also technical assistance to help them carry out energy audits and establish an energy efficiency action plan.
For Tunisian SMEs, it is time to act, they must not sit idly by. They are called upon to change their “mindset” by giving priority, in terms of investment, to the energy component and by engaging in energy efficiency initiatives if they intend to remain competitive on the market.
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