ATENEA4SME: Industrial SME Self-Evaluation of Energy Efficiency

Promoting energy efficiency in the Italian production sector is significantly hampered by the lack of knowledge, the scarcity and the limited distribution of tools for supporting energy audits in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a wide range of Italian economic sectors (industry, tertiar...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Antonio Ferraro, Giacomo Bruni, Marcello Salvio, Milena Marroccoli, Antonio Telesca, Chiara Martini, Federico Alberto Tocchetti, Antonio D’Angola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/15/4094
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Promoting energy efficiency in the Italian production sector is significantly hampered by the lack of knowledge, the scarcity and the limited distribution of tools for supporting energy audits in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a wide range of Italian economic sectors (industry, tertiary sector, transport). The Advanced Tool for ENErgy Audit for SMEs, ATENEA4SME, is intended to help SMEs promote energy-efficiency projects, supports energy audits and self-evaluation of energy consumption. The tool uses an original mathematical model that takes into account the results of questionnaires and a multi-criteria analysis to generate recommendations for energy efficiency investments. This article will give a thorough explanation of the tool, emphasizing and outlining the sections as well as the procedures to get the ultimate summary of the energy usage of the enterprises under investigation and the potential for energy saving. From a technological and financial perspective, the tool helps to remove obstacles to the development of energy-efficiency measures. In this article, the IT and methodological structure of the tool will therefore be extensively described, and its operation for the context of SMEs will be illustrated, with application cases. Ample space will be allocated to the dissemination campaign and the replicability of the tool for all economic sectors of the industrial and tertiary sectors.
ISSN:1996-1073