A 15% drop in heat consumption and a 23% reduction in electricity consumption over the course of six years – such are the outcomes of the long-term energy-saving programme implemented in CEZ’s office premises. The company administers more than a hundred buildings throughout the country – from multi-storey buildings of its Prague headquarters to call centres and custom service centres, to small buildings housing only a few offices. CEZ has been gradually upgrading its buildings to ensure that they are as energy efficient as possible, having stepped up the effort in recent years. With insulation, window replacement, energy-efficient lighting, and other systematic measures, the company saved over CZK 26 million per year from 2018 to 2023. Nearly one-half of the heat savings achieved happened last year.

Overall, heat consumption dropped by 7% year-on-year, which corresponds to a decline by 2,357 GJ. Offices and customer care centres also consumed less electricity last year, managing to save 575 MWh.

“Households and companies alike turn to us for expert advice on energy savings, so it is only natural for us to apply the same measures ourselves. We plan to achieve an energy saving of another 15% by 2027 in our buildings, and we are glad to say that we are in a good position to meet our targets. On average, we invest CZK 50 million per year into that spere,” said CEZ Board Member and head of the Administrative Division Michaela Chaloupková.

To reduce consumption in its buildings, CEZ combines passive measures (reducing the temperature in rooms and water heating temperature, more efficient ventilation, etc.) with active ones: in particular, building insulation, window replacement, more modern metering and regulation systems, installation of energy efficient lighting, as well as replacing appliances in offices (refrigerators, coffee makers) with ones that are more energy efficient.

Further savings in the future

CEZ Group also focuses on savings achieved with the use of modern technologies: over the course of the next two years, photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of as much as 1.6 MW will be placed on the roofs of CEZ office buildings or on adjoining grounds. A total of 12 buildings and two adjoining grounds have been included in the initial phase of the project, and CEZ will also examine another two dozen buildings to see whether they will be fit for photovoltaic use in the future, looking to operate as many as 32 projects. At present, CEZ has photovoltaics mounted on three of its office buildings in the Czech Republic: in Mladá Boleslav, Louny, and Benešov. Their operating experience from 2023 shows that thanks to power from the sun, the buildings’ electricity consumption has been reduced by an average of 20%.