Malta Enterprise has been providing businesses with grants for energy audits aimed at helping them find ways of using energy more efficiently.

Malta Enterprise started receiving applications earlier this year, having already granted 95 companies close to e53,000.

Another 49 applications are on the waiting list, and are expected to receive an additional e24,900 in grants.

Malta Enterprise currently employs 14 energy advisors and is expected to recruit another four in the coming days.

Considering the number of advisors recruited, the number of assignments being handled weekly and the number of pending applications, it is envisaged that the applications on the waiting list will be approved in the coming four weeks.

The funds granted to the companies are intended to cover the energy advisors’ services. Depending on the type of activity, the sector and the size of business, qualified experts establish the number of hours required for walkthrough audits in each individual business.

Malta Enterprise said feedback from both the companies and advisors has been positive. In fact some of the beneficiaries have used the audit as a base document to substantiate their application for energy grants from the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF).

After the energy audits are carried out, businesses can then decide, based on the report regarding ways of minimising energy consumption, which ways would be best to improve energy efficiency.

Photovoltaic panels are possibly the most popular at the moment, but they are not necessarily the most effective in every situation.

Technologies of conservation, like intelligent lighting systems, can be more cost effective than those of regeneration.

Visit www.energy.maltaenterprise.com for more details.