ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with a description of Energy-saving performance contracting (ESPC), a system that becomes more and more attractive. The contractor finances, installs and maintains activities to reduce the energy consumption of the building. Principally, the contractor is paid according to the energy that it provides. The payment of the contractor should equal the energy savings that result from the new contract. Energy performance contracting is an extremely effective way to reduce energy use and costs and to renew facilities and building systems without expending capital funds. The Austrian contracting initiative deals with core problem by pointing out the advantages to the users of the buildings. The successful pilot project was followed by a decision of the Council of Ministers in 2001 to renovate approximately 300 properties by ESPC. In the case of ESPC the energy specialists make sure that the life-cycle costs of the energy supply in federally owned public buildings are evident.
