Summary of 2025 at DB Energy

ELENA financing

In March 2025, we signed an agreement with Employers of the Republic of Poland (Pracodawcy RP) for co-financing under the ELENA project. ELENA is a project implemented by Employers of Poland titled Employers of Poland for energy efficiency of the enterprises, financed by the ELENA Grant. The ELENA project will be implemented until June 2027.

Thanks to the ELENA Programme, financed by the European Investment Bank, industrial companies can obtain up to 90% funding for analyses, audits and technical designs that are necessary to implement energy modernisation projects. As an official programme partner, DB Energy supports companies throughout the entire process: from qualification, through preparation of documentation, to implementation of the investment.

Under the ELENA programme, financial support can be obtained for services such as:

• Energy efficiency audit and enterprise energy audit (ex ante)
• Investment feasibility study
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Financial model / economic analysis of the project
• Technical documentation
• Energy performance certificate
• Applications for financing (e.g. FENG, ecological loan, other sources)
• (Optional) Walk Through audit, if it adds value from the perspective of ecological impact

The funding covers up to 90% of the net value of the above services – the investor covers only 10% gross.

This is an interesting solution for companies that are preparing documentation for upcoming energy-saving projects and expect a reduction in primary energy consumption of at least 30%. These may include thermal modernisation of production and service buildings, modernisation of lighting systems, improvement of heating and cooling systems, integrated RES installations (e.g. PV, heat pumps) or high-efficiency gas cogeneration (if it is part of a comprehensive efficiency package).

In 2025, we analysed 425 modernisation projects in companies in Poland and worldwide. We delivered our services in Poland, Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, the USA, Vietnam, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. We also cooperate with EFESO Management Consultants, an international consulting group with which we join forces in 35 locations around the world.

We have prepared a short summary of the most interesting projects and activities developed in 2025:

• Cost: approx. PLN 52 million
• Savings: approx. PLN 12.9 million per year
• Payback period: approx. 4 years
• Energy saved: approx. 95,600 MWh per year

Based on an enterprise energy audit conducted in 2025, we identified significant energy recovery potential through the use of an air lance system in rotary kilns. Thanks to the project calculated by us, this client from the metallurgical industry could save approximately 95.6 GWh of energy per year – equivalent to saving 260 coal wagons!

A rotary kiln is a type of industrial furnace in which material is moved from one zone to another thanks to the rotational movement of a slightly inclined drum. In practice, this means that the feed material, such as ore, scrap, sand, granulate or other bulk raw materials, gradually moves through the kiln, rotating and mixing under the influence of gravity.

An air lance in a rotary kiln is an installation component that delivers air into the interior of the kiln in a targeted and controlled manner. Most often, it is a metal pipe introduced into the kiln chamber, whose tasks include:

• supplying air to a specific point of the process,
• stabilising and improving combustion by providing additional oxygen,
• equalising temperature and improving thermal conditions in selected kiln zones,
• in some cases also influencing flue gas turbulence, which increases heat exchange efficiency.

By installing air lances in all of the client’s kilns, the company will save PLN 13 million per year. An investment costing PLN 52 million will pay back in 4 years, which is a favourable payback period for similar industrial projects. Additionally, thanks to final energy savings exceeding 95 GWh, the client may apply for white certificates (energy efficiency certificates) and further increase financial savings from this project.

• Savings: approx. PLN 17.5 million per year
• Energy saved: approx. 56,600 MWh per year
• Carbon dioxide emission reduction: approx. 12.6 thousand tonnes of CO₂

In 2025, we carried out an audit for a client from the chemical industry – a plant specialising in the production of paints and pigments. At the facility, we identified significant potential for the use of waste heat recovery technology. In the production process and cooling systems, high-temperature wastewater is generated. Reusing this wasted heat would allow the company to save energy and, consequently, reduce emissions.

Energy from wastewater can be used, for example, to heat demineralised water, which had previously been heated with steam to a temperature of 70°C. Using thermal energy from wastewater for this purpose would allow DEMI water to be heated to 50°C. Additional measures, such as heat recovery from condensate or from the jet milling process, would further support the demineralised water heating process and increase overall process efficiency.

By implementing such a set of measures, the client’s plant could save approximately 56.6 GWh of energy and around PLN 17.5 million per year. In addition, the saved energy is energy that would never have to be produced. For this reason, the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions amounts to as much as 12.6 thousand tonnes. Such an amount of greenhouse gases is roughly equivalent to the emissions of a typical passenger aircraft circling the Earth 33 times!

How can we check how much carbon dioxide was saved in this case?

Each year, a national emission factor is determined. Thanks to it, it is possible to estimate how much emission entered the atmosphere during energy production from various sources within the National Power System. If coal played the main role in total energy production, the emission factor will be higher than when energy is produced mainly from renewable sources. Based on this factor and the amount of saved electricity that the plant would normally use to produce cooling for the technological process, we calculated that implementing the project would contribute to a reduction of approximately 12,600 tonnes of CO₂ each year after modernisation.

In our audits, we often identify areas where spectacular results can be achieved with a small investment of time, funds and effort. Among the quick wins identified this year, there were several exceptional projects. Here are three of them:

Payback period – 0.006 years – around two days!

Reduction of contracted power by approximately 900 kW – adjusting power to the actual demand of a construction industry plant. This means savings of over PLN 160,000 per year.

Payback period – 0.007 years – 2.5 days

For a pharmaceutical industry client, we recommended switching off an HVAC pump that is not needed in the process and operates continuously. As a result, the plant will save over PLN 60,000 per year.

Payback period – 0.68 years

Heat recovery from compressors in a metallurgical plant. The recovered heat allows up to 60% of the electrical energy previously used for water and space heating to be utilised. This results in over PLN 1.5 million in annual savings with an investment of approximately PLN 1 million.

Here are more example measures that will pay back in less than one year:

• installation of frequency inverters and control systems to reduce energy consumption by approx. 30%,
• removal of control cabinet doors and replacement of cooling fans with gravity cooling, eliminating electricity consumption of 30 fans,
• various types of insulation in areas where thermal energy is lost,
• use of heat exchangers on compressors,
• reduction of pressure in compressed air systems,
• conducting eco-driving training and GPS monitoring,
• replacement of luminaires with LED,
• sealing of compressed air systems,
• replacement of condensate drains with Venturi-based units.

Energy efficiency is not only about large projects – energy savings and cost-effective actions start with small steps. If you start today, the investment may already pay back the day after tomorrow.

Partnership with ING Bank Śląski

In 2025, we joined forces with ING Bank Śląski to support industry in the energy transition. Under the partnership, we offer companies comprehensive support: from energy audits and ESG strategies, through access to investment financing, to industry education. This is a concrete response to decarbonisation challenges and an opportunity to truly reduce energy costs and increase business competitiveness. The joint initiative of DB Energy and ING Bank Śląski focuses on three main pillars:

• development and implementation of ESG strategies tailored to the specifics of industrial companies,
• operational support in the execution of investments improving energy efficiency,
• educational activities, including workshops and webinars for companies interested in energy transition and climate neutrality.

DB Energy brings over 15 years of experience in delivering energy efficiency projects for industry to the partnership – from energy audits and energy consumption optimisation, through the design of low-emission solutions, to comprehensive investment delivery as a general contractor (EPC) and in the ESCO model with financing.

ING Bank Śląski, in turn, offers its corporate clients financial products supporting green transformation, including ESG loans, financing for renewable energy investments and leasing of low-emission technologies.

Mera S.A. is a Polish company headquartered in Lewin Brzeski. With over 20 years of experience in the production of wooden staircases, it is currently a joint-stock company and one of the largest staircase manufacturers in Poland. Many years of experience combined with modern technological facilities make Mera S.A. one of the leading suppliers in its industry, continuously investing in innovation and energy efficiency in its production plants.

The cooperation includes the construction of a photovoltaic installation with a capacity of up to 1 MW together with an energy storage system with a capacity of up to 1 MW and a storage capacity of 4 MWh, as well as the necessary electrical infrastructure. The estimated value of the investment is PLN 6.4 million. Under the agreement, DB Energy will cover the costs of project implementation, while Mera S.A. will settle remuneration in a variable form, dependent on energy prices and the economic benefits resulting from the operation of the energy storage system and panels. According to the plan, in addition to the achieved savings, Mera S.A. will purchase energy coming entirely from a green source, thus taking a milestone step towards zero emissions. The agreement was concluded for a period of 10 years from the commissioning of the installation.

1911 Data Centre PL is a dynamically developing data centre services provider, offering technologically advanced solutions for business clients. The company specialises in the construction and management of modern data processing centres, ensuring the highest level of security, energy efficiency and operational reliability. Through the use of innovative technologies, 1911 Data Centre PL supports enterprises in their digital transformation.

The project implementation includes comprehensive works related to obtaining connection conditions and the construction of the main point of supply, which will enable efficient energy management in a modern facility. Thanks to this investment, 1911 Data Centre PL will be able to offer its clients the highest level of reliability and energy security.

The year 2025 became a symbolic turning point – energy started to be recognised as an area of significant risk, but also a potential competitive advantage in the global market. In 2026, many industrial companies in Europe and worldwide will approach energy planning not from the perspective of short-term costs, but long-term stability, flexibility and resilience to external shocks.

Technologies such as cogeneration, biogas, energy storage, industrial photovoltaics or hybrid energy management systems are becoming the foundation of new energy models that increase operational security and plant flexibility. At the same time, companies should prepare for the expansion of audit obligations under the EED directive, full implementation of CBAM, increasing requirements related to energy efficiency and changes in emission reporting systems.

In January, we will publish an article on trends in energy, security and technologies for 2026, where we will develop these topics in more detail.

Energy audits of enterprises. Debunking the myths

Last year at DB Energy, the idea emerged to create a report on enterprise energy audits. Audits and advisory services in the field of energy efficiency and energy management were for a long time the main pillar of our activity. As the company developed, we also began to design and implement investments, but audits remain for us the first and most important step of the entire process. With this report, we wanted to demystify the image of an enterprise energy audit and show that it does not have to be only the fulfilment of a legal obligation (for large enterprises), but can serve as a guidepost and the first step towards real savings and cost-effective decarbonisation.

We invited experts from the energy sector to work on the report, who supported our team with their perspectives and statements. Media patronage over the report was taken by the CIRE.pl portal – one of the most popular and longest-operating portals dedicated to the energy sector.

We also invited experts from the energy sector to cooperate on the creation of the report:

• Legal Counsel Beata Superson - Polowiec, Partner at Polowiec i Wspólnicy Law Firm and Enim Institute,
• Katarzyna Ułanowicz, President of the Management Board at Go BIG,
• Łukasz Dobrowolski, Director for Climate Strategy and Energy Market at the Climate&Strategy Foundation,
• Adam Dominiak, President of the Management Board at Enea Eko,
• Remigiusz Nowakowski, President of the Management Board at DISE Energy and Managing Director at Qair Polska,
• Maciej Szott, Energy Efficiency Expert at Luxon LED,
• Jarosław Wajer, Energy Sector Leader in Poland and the CESA region at EY Polska.

An enterprise energy audit is a unique audit because it is carried out as part of a legal obligation. Large enterprises in Poland are required to perform it under the Energy Efficiency Act of 2016. In our work with industrial companies, we often encounter the belief that an audit is carried out for only one purpose – to fulfil the obligation. In our report, however, we wanted to show that such thinking can be misleading. Conducting a high-quality audit not only fulfils the obligation, but also indicates further steps and the most cost-effective modernisation measures.

This and many other topics are explored in the DB Energy report Energy audits of enterprises. debunking the myths. It consists of 11 chapters devoted to energy audits, their legal environment, financial issues and the audit process itself, as well as a portion of our internal know-how. We base the report on more than 1,500 audits that we have conducted at DB Energy over the last 15 years. The report also comprises over 70 pages filled with engineering, financial, legal and energy-related knowledge.

Energy efficiency and energy security – technologies for industry

The report Energy efficiency and energy security – technologies for industry is primarily aimed at medium-sized and large companies that may be most affected by issues related to energy security, maintaining competitiveness and the need to improve energy efficiency. We invite experts from the energy sector, as well as companies involved in building the competitiveness of Poland and Europe, to cooperate on its creation. The premiere of the report will take place in spring 2026.

The report aims to:

• inspire companies to take action and build their energy independence,
• educate about modern technologies that increase energy efficiency and global competitiveness,
• promote enterprise energy audits not only as a legal obligation, but as a tool that identifies potential for achieving goals and optimising operations in energy-intensive companies.

The group of experts will include well-known names from Polish enterprises, think tanks and institutions.

In 2025:

• we were a partner of the Polish Climate Congress in Warsaw,
• we were a partner of the Energy Trade Fair in Jachranka,
• we spoke at the 80th anniversary of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Wrocław University of Science and Technology in Wrocław,
• we spoke at NetZero Energy and the Central European Hydrogen Technology Forum in Poznań,
• we participated in the East x West Forum congress in Wrocław,
• we took part in the Future Energy Week Poland 2025 trade fair in Nadarzyn,
• we participated in the I Love Marketing & Technology conference in Poznań,

New DB Energy website

In October 2025, our new website was launched after several months of work. We refreshed the design, added new functionalities and sections, and changed the menu layout. As a result, readability and accessibility for users improved. On the new website, where you are currently reading this article, you will find, among others, a refreshed case studies page and the Team tab, where you can meet all our specialists.

LinkedIn newsletter

In October 2024, the first issue of our LinkedIn bulletin was published. Since then, we have already released 60 editions of the Profitable decarbonisation bulletin. Every week, our newsletter reaches over 800 people who read it regularly. If you would like to receive the bulletin in your inbox, subscribe here.

Newsletter

Our newsletter has been running since 2024 and reaches the inboxes of over 3,000 recipients. Every Thursday, we send our subscribers content related to energy efficiency, decarbonisation, new regulations, investment financing and ESG topics. Sign up and stay up to date.

CIRE

In 2025, we continued our cooperation with the CIRE.pl portal, where we run our own thematic service called Energy efficiency. This year, we wrote over 40 articles and expert commentaries on green transformation, energy, financing sources for energy-saving projects, audits and industrial investments. The reach of articles on CIRE is up to 550 thousand people. We will also be present there in 2026.

Other media

Here are other media outlets where we shared our expertise this year:

• Chemia i Biznes
• Kierunek Energetyka
• Napędy i sterowanie
• My Company Polska
• Puls Biznesu
• Studio CIRE – interviews with the editor-in-chief of CIRE.pl
• Energochłonne Piątki – webinars of the Chamber of Industrial Energy Consumers

Corporate run 2025

In May, we took part in the Corporate Run – it was already the 13th edition of this event. This year, it supported 20 young heroes of the Everest Foundation. Part of our team ran remotely, while the remaining participants completed the route in Skowroni Park in Wrocław. They were also accompanied by fantastic supporters. This year, the run organiser donated PLN 1,030,000 for the treatment and rehabilitation of the Everest Foundation’s beneficiaries.

Read more about the Everest Foundation’s activities here

For the upcoming Christmas holidays and the New Year 2026, we wish you peace, positive spirit and substantial savings.

Thank you for being with us for another year.

The DB Energy team