European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
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Large companies regularly carry out energy audits. A company with more than 249 employees or whose annual turnover exceeds €50 million and an annual balance sheet of €43 million is defined as a large company. The list of large companies is established by the Central Statistical Office before 1 December each year, using data from the enterprise's last validated accounting period. An enterprise is included in the list of large enterprises if it fulfils the criteria of a large enterprise for two consecutive reference periods. A company included in the list of large large companies is obliged to carry out one of the following actions within one year of being included in that list: * carry out an energy audit covering at least 90 per cent of the total final energy consumption, and continue to carry out a regular energy audit every four years; * implement and maintain a certified energy management system in accordance with the energy management standard, covering at least 90 per cent of the total final energy consumption; * implement and maintain a certified supplementary environmental management system in accordance with the environmental management standard, covering at least 90 per cent of the total final energy consumption.
An energy audit must include a detailed overview of: * the structure and energy efficiency of buildings or groups of buildings, processes or equipment, including transport, energy consumption; * energy efficiency improvement measures with maximum estimated energy savings or economic returns if possible based on a life cycle cost analysis, as well as low-cost measures.
The large company have to implement all or at least three of the energy efficiency improvement measures identified in the first or current energy audit report (or by the certified energy management system or supplementary environmental management system) with the highest estimated energy savings or economic return.
The Ministry of Economy sets up an energy efficiency monitoring system. The responsible authority (The State Construction Control Bureau of Latvia) must monitor energy efficiency, maintain the system and record energy savings. The procedure and structure of the system will be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Apart from obligations for the large enterprises, business organisations, individual companies and municipalities are entitled to enter into a voluntary agreement with the State to improve energy efficiency.
An energy audit is a thorough assessment of the energy consumption of a company including its buildings, processes and transport use. Its goal is to identify cost-effective ways to save energy. Audits can identify often quite simple ways for companies to save energy and money such as properly insulating pipes in a factory.
Article 8 – (4) of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU), states that enterprises that are not SMEs, are subject to an energy audit carried out in an independent and cost-effective manner by qualified and/or accredited experts or implemented and supervised by independent authorities under national legislation, at least every four years.
Alternatively to the energy audit, a large enterprise can implement an energy management system that impacts more in comparison with an energy audit. An energy management system is based on a strategic process that aims to improve energy usage/efficiency.
Moreover, Member States should develop programmes to encourage SMEs to undergo energy audits.
Eurofound (2021), Latvia: Obligation to undertake energy efficiency audits, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/obligation-to-undertake-energy-efficiency-audits/latvia
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