Energy Project - CHANGE

The CHANGE project helps SMEs optimise their energy use by developing a European network of intelligent energy advisors at Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCIs) and by kick-starting/enhancing concrete assistance to SMEs.

Given the estimated potential of 10-20% energy savings that businesses can reach through no-cost or low-cost measures, it’s fundamental to make SMEs aware of the benefits of intelligent energy use. Thanks to their close daily contacts with the business community, CCIs can support SMEs in taking rational energy use better into account.

Brief description

This project – co-financed by the European Union in the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme – will run from September 2008 through August 2010.

About 60 CCI staff members from 12 EU countries will undertake training and exchanges of experience to obtain basic knowledge about energy efficiency and cost-efficient application of renewable energy sources.
They will then act as first ports of call for SMEs in energy efficiency matters, facilitating their access to information, organising workshops and information events and encouraging SMEs to take energy efficiency pre-checks. Thus, they will bridge the gap between SMEs and more specialised consultancy and technologies available on the market. Finally, a survey, undertaken among businesses, will help improve the service, and identify barriers to the uptake of energy efficiency in SMEs.