Energy Audits and Sustainability Training Workshops - GREENINVEST Program

The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB INVEST) created the GREENPYME Program, currently called GREENINVEST, to provide advisory services to companies with the aim of helping increase their competitiveness through the reduction of energy costs.   Within the framework of this Program, IDB INVEST granted a loan to Banco Agrícola of El Salvador aimed at increasing SME access to financing for EE and RE projects. As part of this project, IDB INVEST retained the services of Econoler to carry out training activities and energy audits.

Econoler carried out the following activities:

• Conducted a working breakfast for executives of Banco Agrícola, to provide support to higher management in incorporating the sustainability component;
• Carried out three awareness-raising workshops for Salvadoran SMEs interested in energy and environmental savings;
• Delivered two training workshops to bank credit officers on climate finance and sustainable project assessments;
• Conducted 20 simple energy audits for bank customers with the aim of identifying the potential for energy savings through energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) measures;
• Followed up on and monitored energy saving measures implemented pursuant to the results of the 20 simple energy audits. In the end, mainly due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on SME operations and financial situations, only five of them effectively implemented some EE and RE measures while 11 of them mentioned an interest in implementing measures once their financial situation would improve.

  Econoler supported Banco Agrícola in developing its internal capacities for the promotion and development of credits for green projects and expanding its energy efficiency project portfolio through simple energy audits. The project also served to support SMEs in identifying possibilities in reducing their operating costs through the implementation of EE and RE measures.