As part of the EnergyEfficiency4SMEs (EE4SMEs) project, Austrian partners e7 Energy Innovation & Engineering and the Energy Institute for Businesses hosted two targeted online workshops. The aim was to help SMEs — particularly in the hotel and catering sector — optimise energy use and reduce their carbon footprint with minimal financial outlay. The workshops attracted numerous hotel operators, as well as energy auditors and advisors acting as industry multipliers.
The first workshop, held on 29 April, focused on Electricity Consumption Analysis. Georg Benke from e7 presented a user-friendly analysis tool developed specifically for SMEs. This tool simplifies the evaluation of electricity and gas consumption and highlights cost-effective opportunities for reducing energy use. Claudia Julius from Senercon also introduced the IMPAWATT platform, which allows companies to self-assess their energy efficiency and pinpoint impactful savings measures.
The second workshop, held on 6 May, explored the potential of building management systems. Paul Lampersberger, an energy expert at e7, demonstrated how such systems can achieve up to 10% energy savings without requiring significant investments. Mario Jandrokovic from the Energy Institute for Businesses presented an online Photovoltaic Platform, which supports SMEs in identifying suitable partners and cooperation models for implementing PV systems, even with limited capital.