Improve energy efficiency in power distribution

Legal requirements for energy efficiency in companies are increasing. These include standards such as IEC 60364-8-1, as well as broader initiatives like the EU Green Deal with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive 2023/1791. This directive must be transposed into national law by EU member states by October 2025.

In Germany, for example, implementation is taking place through the Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG). It requires companies (public authorities and data centers, among others) with a defined average annual total final energy consumption over the last three completed calendar years to establish energy management systems (EnMS) or environmental management systems (EMS).

Companies with an average annual final energy consumption over the past three years of:

> 2.5 GWh per year: Publication of implementation plans for energy-saving measures (based on either an energy audit in accordance with DIN EN 16247-1, an EnMS in accordance with ISO 50001, or EMS in accordance with EMAS).

> 7.5 GWh per year: Introduction of an energy management system in accordance with ISO 50001 or an EMS in accordance with EMAS, along with a certified power monitoring system.

Total final energy consumption refers to the sum of all self-consumed energy quantities from purchased energy sources plus self-generated energy — including energy conversion and transmission losses:

• without transferred energy
• without ambient heat/cold
• without solar thermal energy

Energy waste can occur in many areas of your company and have various causes. For example, your network may be oversized — most devices operate most efficiently when not running at full capacity. Using inefficient technologies like halogen lamps or outdated motors can lead to unnecessarily high energy consumption, as can transmission and process losses — for example due to high busbar loads and poor thermal insulation.

To address this, you should consider energy optimization right from the planning stage — and continuously and systematically record and analyze all energy data during operation.

If your company is legally required to implement an energy management system (EnMS), the systematic implementation of an EnMS can provide benefits that outweigh the necessary costs, for example, by reducing expenses through improved operational procedures, more efficient processes and targeted optimization measures.

If your company is not legally obligated, you can identify and evaluate potential savings and energy-saving measures by voluntarily setting up an EnMS, thereby achieving valuable side effects.