From compliance to impact: evaluating energy efficiency measures in Portugal and Italy

Abstract Data collection and analysis on the implementation of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) under Article 8 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) vary widely across European countries. This paper focuses on the management and enforcement of Energy Audits (EAs) obligation, and the associated EEMs information, in Portugal and Italy, two countries with distinct approaches. Specifically, the study delves into the Portuguese SGCIE ( Sistema de Gestão dos Consumos Intensivos de Energia ), and the implementation of the Italian Legislative Decree 102/2014 along with Ministerial Decree 256/2024 ( Decreto Energivori) . In Portugal, SGCIE plays a pivotal role in monitoring energy-intensive installations, mainly from the industrial sector, fostering the adoption of EEMs through a mandatory framework. This paper investigates how SGCIE collects data from EAs, enforces the implementation of EEMs, and tracks energy savings, contributing to national and EU energy efficiency goals. Similarly, the study delves into the Italian framework, analysing EAs obligations governance and EEMs data managing, particularly for energy-intensive industries. Emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of these mechanisms in gathering and utilizing information on EEMs. This analysis highlights the strengths of each system, underscoring key differences in how Portugal and Italy have transposed Art. 8 EED obligations into national law. The findings show that both countries have developed robust digital systems to collect and analyse EEMs data, offering valuable insights into energy consumption trends and policy impacts. These approaches improve data quality, support company-level energy management, and provide a foundation to meet the more stringent requirements of the revised EED (EU/2023/1791).