How can we move from passive energy consumption to active energy management? Six videos explain how SMEs integrate, in practice, solutions for energy efficiency into their operational decisions
As part of the LIFE REFINEE project, which aims to develop innovative financial instruments in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Slovenia and Croatia to stimulate private investment dedicated to energy efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises, we have encountered companies that do not dare limit themselves to investing in solutions for efficiency energy, but they integrate them into day-to-day business decisions.
Energy in practice: stories of SMEs leading the energy transition
For a long time, energy – in most of the SMEs – followed a simple pattern: when the office, the shop or the factory opened, one would carry out the daily activities and at the end of the month a bill would arrive. Energy was necessary, inevitable and largely invisible.
It wasn’t something you could control; it was something you had to put up with.
What has changed is not just the price of energy, but the fact that energy efficiency has become measurable and manageable.
With smarter meters, digital monitoring and data-driven tools, businesses can now see when energy is being used, how activities overlap, and where peaks or inefficiencies arise. What once appeared as a single figure on a bill is now a clear pattern that can be acted upon.
From passive consumption to active management of energy
Once the models become clear, effective decisions can be made.
Sometimes the solution is not a major investment in renewable energy, but better coordination, an optimised timing or the adjustment of settings for the system. Small operational changes can reduce peaks in demand, alleviate the pressure on machinery and improve the predictability of costs.
Companies are also recognising that energy efficiency affects far more than just costs, and has a direct impact on:
- predictability of costs and exposure to volatility of energy prices
- reliability in operation and service life of machinery
- peaks in demand and costs associated with the network
- need for maintenance and unplanned machine downtime
- competitiveness in the long term in markets with high energy intensity
The energy transition in SMEs is not therefore a one-off change. It is a continuous process of understanding, adaptation and improvement.
Italy: integrate renewable energy sources into the business strategy
In Italy, the strategic thinking of long-term planning guides energy performance in the long term.
Venica&Venica, a long-established winery in the Collio region, has integrated solar panels, biomass heating and advanced monitoring systems to achieve significant cost savings whilst improving its environmental performance. Their approach combines tradition with responsible energy use.
Friul Pallet, a company specialising in the production of packaging made of wood, has developed a solution which involves an integrated system of biomass and cogeneration which converts the residues from production into energy, reducing costs and contributing to a regional energy ecosystem.
Slovenia: digitalizzazione e approccio sistemico
In Slovenia, two complementary approaches demonstrate how SMEs are implementing a holistic energy management.
The strategy of Robotina, a technology solutions company, demonstrates how digitization and real-time energy monitoring transform complex systems into transparent and controllable environments. Their approach enables peak demand management and data-driven optimization, the company helps enterprises reduce risk and strengthen predictability.
KISIK supports SMEs that often don’t know where to start: through a detailed energy analysis and tailored combinations of solar, storage and solutions for renewable heating. The practices implemented by KISIK demonstrate once again that sustainable energy efficiency stems from a coordinated and systemic approach, not from isolated measures.
Croatia: resilience and innovation
In Croatia, energy efficiency in businesses is linked to their resilience strategy.
Vezo Commerce, a company that manufactures furniture, has responded to the rise in prices of electricity by installing a solar system combined with digital monitoring. This approach has improved the stability of costs and reduced exposure to volatility in the market.
Novatec has expanded from industrial automation to electric mobility by developing a prototype of an electric bus. Despite the difficulties linked to the supply chain, the company has demonstrated how innovation focused on sustainability can strengthen competitiveness in the long term.
The REFINEE project is funded under the European Union’s LIFE programme and supports small and medium-sized enterprises in accelerating the transition to clean energy. By combining awareness-raising, practical guidance and innovative financing approaches, REFINEE aims to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs through active energy management.
The views and examples presented in this article reflect the practical experiences of the participating companies.
