ECO is a government programme that targets household consumption. It has two objectives:

• to fight fuel poverty.
• to reduce carbon emissions.

Unlike other white certificates, it has several phases: ECO, ECO1, ECO2, ECO3 and ECO4. The ECO4 is the latest to be introduced, and it applies to measures introduced between¹ April 2022 and 31 March 2026.

How does the UK white certificate work?

The ECO currently in force in the UK was introduced in 2022. It comprises 3 phases, each lasting 3 years, and imposes an obligation to reduce domestic heating costs on electricity and gas suppliers with more than 50,000 customers. These suppliers are known as the “obligated parties”, and they must also promote measures to improve the heating of their homes for low-income households. Examples include:

• improving the thermal insulation of a property (e.g. loft insulation, cavity wall insulation);
• replacing a heating system with a new model;
• repairing a boiler.

The programme also includes a general energy savings goal that is set by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Then, it is distributed between the “obligated parties” according to their relative share of the UK gas and electricity markets. It is then the responsibility of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) to ensure that each obligated party applies and complies with this goal.

Who is concerned by this energy efficiency scheme?

The ECO targets low-income households to help them implement energy efficiency solutions in their homes. Both tenants and homeowners are eligible. The help comes from energy, gas and electricity suppliers, the “obligated parties”. They must comply with the targets fixed by OFGEM (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets). OFGEM also checks that they are fulfilling their obligations. As administrator of this programme, it has a number of roles, including :

• allocate goals to “obligated parties” ;
• monitor their actions to achieve these goals;
• prevent and detect fraud.

The UK White Certificate therefore concerns the residential (or domestic) sector and seeks to combat fuel poverty. It focuses above all on reducing _CO2 emissions, which is the objective of UK energy policy.

Also, unlike the French and Italian programmes, ECOs are only issued to “obligated parties”. The UK has not yet developed a system of penalties for suppliers who do not fulfil their obligations. Penalties are applied on a case-by-case basis.

L’article What are the characteristics of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)? est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.

• a system equivalent to energy saving certificates (CEE);
• the creation of a national fund for energy efficiency (FNEE).

In Spain, a national system of energy efficiency obligations was created by Law 18/2014 of 15 October. This law also includes the introduction of a FNEE and a white certificate. But this system was not regulated before 2023.

On 24 January 2023, the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge published a decree that regulates ” Certificados de Ahorro Energético (CAE ) “. Inspired by the French model, these certificates require suppliers of gas, electricity and petroleum products (known as “obligated parties”) to make a financial contribution to the FNEE. However, the two systems are not entirely identical. Spain’s system is a hybrid, like the white certificates in force in Poland, for example.

A white certificate reinforced by a January 2023 decree

The “Certificado de Ahorro Energetico” was introduced in Spain by Royal Decree in 2023. It complements the 2014 National System of Energy Efficiency Obligations, and requires obligated parties to achieve their energy savings goals in 2 ways:

• a financial contribution to the FNEE ;
• the collection of CAE.

It also allows obligated parties to reduce their financial contribution to the FNEE by deducting the amount of CAEs accumulated each year from their overall obligation.

With this programme, Spain hopes to :

• generate further energy savings, and thus meet its obligations toward the European Union under Directive 2012/27/EU;
• simplify investment in energy efficiency technologies.

In practical terms, the “Certificado de Ahorro Energético” is an electronic document. It certifies that an energy saving has been made, with 1 kWh earning one CAE. If a company saves 300 kWh per year, it will receive 300 CAEs, for example. The role of this system is to monetise energy savings.

This system is also accompanied by a market where obligated parties can purchase PPAs from other obligated parties in order to meet their legal obligation. This is why the Spanish CAE is a hybrid, unlike the French CEE, from which it is partly inspired.

What are the characteristics of this Spanish ACE?

The “Certificado de Ahorro Energético” involves several parties, the main actors of which are :

• the obligated parties (suppliers of gas, electricity, LPG and petroleum products), who must make annual energy savings and pay a financial contribution to the FNEE or liquidate CAEs;
• Delegated companies, which help obligated parties to obtain CAEs;
• the energy savings verifier, who is accredited by ENAC (Entidad Nacional de Acreditación) to check that the data provided by the obligated parties is correct.

To determine the energy savings goals to be achieved by obligated parties, the quantity of energy consumed is taken into consideration. When they meet these goals, they receive PPAs, which are deposited on a national digital platform and can be sold on a secondary market. If the goals are not achieved, the obligated parties receive penalties.

Also, in Spain, only four sectors of activity are currently concerned by this programme: the tertiary sector, industry, the residential sector and transport. As for energy-saving measures, these currently concentrate on the replacement of equipment (heating systems, for example) and fairly simple measures such as infrastructure insulation. However, it is highly likely that the obligated parties will be asked to make more significant efforts, since the entry into force of the decree of January 2023, it demonstrates Spain’s determination to step up its efforts to reduce its energy consumption.

With its “Certificado de Ahorro Energético”, Spain is making a further commitment to the fight against global warming.

L’article “Certificado de Ahorro Energetico” (CAE): what do you need to know about this Spanish measure? est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.

If they do not respect this requirements, obligated parties will be penalised by a fine. On the other hand, when they promote energy efficiency and save MWh, they obtain white certificates.

This Polish programme has a few similarities with the French energy savings certificate (CEE), such as the nature of the operations and work carried out, and, according to recent figures, is proving to be fairly effective.

The principle of this energy efficiency certificate

The “świadectwo efektywności energetycznej” was introduced by law in Poland in 2016. It sets an ambitious national goal: to achieve 5,580,000 toe by 2030, or around 65 TWh (terawatt hours).

“Obligated parties” (suppliers and traders of gas, electricity, urban heating and fuels, for example) must meet an annual energy savings obligation. The most common actions for which certificates can be obtained include :

• thermal renovation ;
• replacement of industrial equipment ;
• improving insulation ;
• recovering energy from industrial processes;
• changing lighting installations.

These certificates are issued by a public institution, the “Energy Regulation Office“, after studying a request and supporting documents, and carrying out an audit. A minimum threshold has also been set for certificates to be issued: 10 toe (around 15 to 20 GWh). However, DEKKHA Consulting believes that this threshold is an obstacle to the widespread deployment of this programme in Poland, and that it could be changed in the near future.

A rather effective hybrid and incentive system

Poland’s energy efficiency certificate is hybrid. That means that it requires obligated parties to make energy savings, but also provides for alternative measures. For the moment, this programme is working, even if Poland has not yet reached its goal.

In fact, a European report from 2022 indicates that, over the period 2014-2020, the country achieved 10,473 KtoE (Tons of Oil Equivalent) in energy savings. The goal was 14,818 KtoE. So Poland only achieved 71% of its goal. But it’s a good result when you realise that the programme was only introduced in 2016. The country also did better than Italy over the same period – 9,158 KtoE – even though its system is older, dating from 2005.

In addition to its hybrid nature, the Polish system has one particular feature that contributes to its success: the existence of a secondary market. The energy savings realised are monetised, with levels of valuation similar to those in Spain. But these two European countries are not the only ones to have such markets. This is also the case in Italy and France. White certificate “obligated parties” in these countries can take advantage of this to export their know-how (their products) to these new markets.

L’article How does Poland’s energy efficiency certificate work? est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.

They have been developed in several countries to require energy suppliers (electricity, gas, fuel, etc.) to control their energy use. These suppliers are known as “obligated” suppliers. They are required to offer financial assistance to “non-obligated” customers ( individuals, or companies that do not supply energy, for example) to finance their energy renovation works.

In 2024, several countries have adopted the European Union’s recommendations, including France, the United Kingdom and Italy. The name given to their environmental policies differs, but the goal remains the same: to finance the energy transition. Some countries are more “open”, allowing foreign players into their markets to achieve their energy savings goals. This is the case of France, Spain, Italy and Poland.

With these programmes, “obligated parties” can resell their certificates to their customers, who can then benefit from financial aid for goods and services such as the Mateco Insulation mattresses we manufacture for pipe systems and single points.

How do white certificates work?

White certificates are government programmes in force in several European countries. They require “obligated parties” (electricity, gas and fuel oil suppliers, for example) to :

• make energy savings ;
• promote energy efficiency among their customers and consumers.

In practice, these obligated parties must achieve a quantified goal, and offset each cumulative kWh (kilowatt hours cumulated and discounted) saved. If these commitments are not met, financial penalties are applied. However, if they reach their goal, they will be issued with white certificates.

At Mateco, our insulation mattresses help “obligated parties” to respect the goals fixed by the regulations in force in European countries. When installed on pipe systems and elements, they improve their thermal insulation and contribute to :

• reducing energy use ;
• reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To find out more, don’t hesitate to contact us!

In which European countries are they applied?

White certificates encourage concerned companies (“obligated parties”) to reduce their energy use, and so participate in the energy transition. Today, several European Union member states have decided to introduce white certificates. These include :

• France, in 2006, with its Energy Savings Certificate (CEE), which requires energy suppliers (gas, electricity, heating oil, vehicle fuel, etc.) to make energy savings or help their customers to do so;
• Italy, in 2005, with “energy efficiency bonds” (“EEBs” ), which also require energy suppliers to make energy savings, and which can be traded on a specific market;
• The United Kingdom with the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which requires energy suppliers to provide energy improvements to low-income households and vulnerable areas;
• Poland, with the programme launched in 2016 that imposes an annual energy savings obligation on a number of players, including energy suppliers, district heating companies and suppliers of gas and liquid fuels;
• Denmark, which introduced a compulsory energy saving certificates for energy suppliers in 2006;
• Belgium, whose 3 regions (Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders) have their own systems for energy suppliers;
• Spain, which in 2014 created the National Energy Efficiency Fund (FNEE ), which is funded by a financial contribution from energy suppliers, which is then distributed in the form of direct aid to companies to achieve their energy saving goals.

Today, white certificates are proving to be an effective way of reducing energy consumption. Their development is expected to increase over the next few years, particularly in view of the current climatic situation.

L’article White certificates, programmes to encourage energy savings est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.

As a result, our internal organisation, processes and insulation solutions for pipe systems and elements comply with our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy. This strategy is applied at every level of our business, both with our employees and in our relations with you, our customers, and our stakeholders. Against a backdrop of energy transition, we believe it is essential to make a long-term commitment to :

• make our installations more respectful for the environment ;
• ensure the well-being and safety of our employees;
• promote the circular economy.

These 3 key pillars (environmental, social and economic) are therefore at the heart of our CSR policy, which we apply on a daily basis.

Our actions to preserve the environment

Our business is the manufacture of insulation mattresses, which allow our customers to reduce the energy impact of their installations. But that’s far from being the only thing we do to help protect the environment. Our company has put in place a number of measures to help reduce our environmental footprint:

• We constantly review the standards applicable to the raw materials used in the manufacture of our insulation mattresses;
• We work in compliance with the environmental regulations in force in our sector;
• we fight against the waste of materials;
• we favour recycled or recyclable raw materials as much as possible;
• we manufacture in the European Union;
• we develop sustainable products;
• we recycle our plastic waste.

Our social actions in favour of our employees

The well-being of our employees is a key element of our CSR approach. It helps to create a pleasant working environment and makes our teams want to get involved and commit themselves to our company. This is why :

• we ensure their safety at work ;
• we listen to our employees to improve their quality of life at work;
• we attach great importance to social dialogue;
• we have opted for a participative management style that highlights the skills and expertise of our teams;
• we help our employees to develop by offering them training;
• we prohibit all forms of discrimination.

Our economic commitments in our CSR policy

The third pillar of our corporate social responsibility approach is economic. For us, this means sustaining our business and our relationships with our customers, partners and employees. In concrete terms:

• we are developing sustainable, reusable insulation mattresses;
• we have set up a responsible sourcing policy;
• we are committed to a circular economy strategy;
• we have optimised the logistics of our insulation mattresses.

All these measures and actions are part of our CSR approach, and help us to achieve our ambitious targets and commit to the energy transition.
To find out more about our CSR policy, please contact us!

L’article CSR, an approach at the heart of our commitments est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.

A certification required for sale or rent

In Belgium, the owner of a property must have an EPB certificate issued before the property is put up for sale or rent. To inform future buyers or tenants, an advertisement must mention the EPB indicators (the energy class ranging from A to G). However, the buildings concerned vary from region to region. For example, it is required for :

• homes over 18m2 and offices over 500m2 in the Brussels-Capital Region;
• existing homes for which planning permission was granted before1 May 2010 in Wallonia;
• houses, flats, small non-residential buildings and collective residential buildings in Flanders.

What kind of information is given in this document?

Unlike an energy audit, EPB certification does not indicate the actual energy cost of a property, which depends in particular on how it is used by the occupants. It simply states :

• its energy performance, which depends on a number of criteria ;
• recommendations for work to be done to improve this performance (better insulation of pipe systems and single points, for example).

Its role is to inform future renters or buyers, giving them a point of comparison between several properties.

In practice, this indicative document looks like those labels that you find on electrical household equipment. Once again, its form is not the same from one region of Belgium to another. But the letters and colours used are similar:

• the letters A+, A, B and C are in green ;
• the letters D and E are in yellow and orange;
• the letter G is in red.

This certificate provides an overall assessment of a building’s energy performance, based on the amount of energy produced by the systems:

• heating ;
• hot water ;
• cooling (where available) ;
• ventilation ;
• lighting.

The calculation then considers a number of criteria:

• the thermal insulation of a building ;
• its ventilation and airtightness ;
• self-generation of energy (photovoltaic panels, for example);
• the presence of renewable energy sources
• the characteristics and performance of the systems mentioned above.

It does not include the current uses of residents. This is why it is an indicative and informative (but obligatory) document.

How to obtain the EPB certificate?

Whatever the region of Belgium, EPB certification must be issued by an approved certifier appointed by the property owner. To facilitate the work of the certifier, the visit must be prepared by compiling documents that prove the energy performance of the property or building. If these are not available, default (and less favourable) values are applied.

To find out more about this certificate and the contribution that our insulation solutions can make to a building’s rating, don’t hesitate to contact us!

L’article The EPB certificate, the energy identity card for buildings est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.

• their sensitivity ;
• their need for maintenance.

We have solved these two problems by designing insulation solutions that are flexible, waterproof and resistant to temperature. Perfectly adapted to these singular points, they solve a number of current problems that affect many sectors of activity:

• reducing energy use ;
• reducing greenhouse gas emissions ;
• staff safety;
• optimisation of production costs and maintenance operations.

So our glass fabric insulation mattresses are suitable for a number of applications, and offer many advantages. Find out more on our blog!

Insulation solutions adapted to different sectors of activity

The composition and characteristics of our glass fabric mattresses are particularly adapted to industrial needs. In particular, they can be used on :

• heat networks
• heat exchangers
• multi-way valves.

They are also suitable for tertiary and residential applications in buildings. For example, on valves in boiler houses.
Their flexibility, fire rating, waterproofing and temperature resistance make them effective insulation solutions for single points and complex equipment exposed to medium and high temperatures.
Available in several ranges and customisable with your company branding, they can be adapted to your thermal and environmental needs.

Mattresses that reduce heat loss and protect employees

Glass fabric insulation mattresses are excellent tools for reducing your carbon footprint. Today, all companies in the industrial sector are concerned by the reduction of CO2 emissions and energy use. Limiting heat loss has become a priority, allowing you to :

• to make savings (the financial costs of this heat loss, which is frequent, are high);
• to ensure the safety of employees who must work on special points and equipment.

Insulation mattresses are therefore the only solution for :

• conserve energy and limit heat loss ;
• prevent condensation and protect equipment from freezing;
• make it easier for employees to work on single points that need to be accessible, without danger or risk of burns

Also, the service life of these insulation solutions is between 5 and 10 years. It depends on the temperature to which they are exposed. But according to an independent study by the EIIF (European Industrial Insulation Foundation), the return on investment is less than 1 – 2 years. It has also been shown that insulation of all surfaces would reduce heat loss in industry by around 66%.

Easy to assemble and disassemble products

Insulation mattresses are manufactured to be perfectly adapted to the equipment for which they are used, in industry, commercial or residential buildings. They withstand difficult, corrosive environments and stay waterproof. Their composition of mineral wool and coated glass fabric ensures :

• – their resistance to high temperatures ;
• – their flexibility, making them easy to assemble and dismantle for maintenance work.

It also provides more comfort for maintenance personnel, because it avoids :

• – burns caused by contact with the surfaces ;
• – high temperatures caused by radiation from hot surfaces.

These mattresses improve the technical insulation of single points and industrial equipment by limiting heat loss, and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To find out more, don’t hesitate to contact us!

L’article What are the benefits and applications of glass fabric insulation mattresses? est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.

Comment fonctionne le certificat blanc britannique ?

L’ECO actuellement en vigueur au Royaume-Uni a été introduit en 2022. Il comporte 3 phases de 3 ans chacune, et prévoit une obligation de réduction des coûts de chauffage domestique aux fournisseurs d’électricité et de gaz ayant plus de 50 000 clients. Ces fournisseurs sont appelés les « obligés » et ils doivent également promouvoir, auprès des ménages à faible revenu, des mesures pour améliorer le chauffage de leur logement. Il peut s’agir par exemple :
– d’une meilleure isolation thermique d’une habitation (isolation des combles, des murs creux par exemple) ;
– du remplacement d’un système de chauffage par un modèle récent ;
– de la réparation d’une chaudière.

De même, ce dispositif prévoit qu’un objectif général d’économies d’énergie est fixé par le ministère de l’Environnement, de l’Alimentation et des Affaires rurales (DEFRA). Il est ensuite réparti entre les « obligés » selon leur part relative sur les marchés du gaz et de l’électricité au Royaume-Uni. Il appartient ensuite à l’Office de ces marchés (OFGEM) de veiller à l’application et au respect de cet objectif par chaque obligé.

Qui est concerné par ce dispositif d’efficacité énergétique ?

L’ECO s’adresse aux ménages à faible revenu afin de les aider à mettre en place des mesures d’efficacité énergétique dans leur logement. Les locataires et les propriétaires sont donc concernés. Quant à l’aide, elle provient des fournisseurs d’énergie, de gaz et d’électricité, les « obligés ». Ils doivent ainsi respecter les objectifs fixés par l’OFGEM (Office des marchés du gaz et de l’électricité). Ce dernier vérifie d’ailleurs qu’ils remplissent bien leurs obligations. En tant qu’administrateur de ce programme, il a plusieurs rôles dont :
allouer des objectifs aux « obligés » ;
suivre leurs actions pour atteindre ces objectifs ;
prévenir et détecter la fraude.
Le certificat blanc britannique concerne donc le secteur résidentiel (ou domestique) et vise à lutter contre la précarité énergétique. Il se concentre avant tout sur la réduction des émissions de CO2, qui correspond à l’objectif de la politique énergétique du Royaume-Uni.
De même, à la différence des dispositifs français et italiens, les ECO ne sont délivrés qu’aux « obligés ». Le Royaume-Uni n’a pas non plus développé de système de pénalités pour les fournisseurs qui ne respectent pas leurs obligations. Des sanctions sont appliquées au cas par cas.

L’article Quelles sont les caractéristiques de l’Energy Company Obligation (ECO) est apparu en premier sur Mateco Insulation.