LocationsHands-on training sessions equipped energy auditors, private-sector specialists and public institutions with practical tools to design, assess and verify energy-efficiency projects.
Strengthening Energy Audit Skills to Support Uzbekistan’s Emerging ESCO Market
September 3, 2026
Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan
From 13 to 28 August 2026, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan and the National Agency for Energy Efficiency of the Republic of Uzbekistan organized a series of two-day training sessions on energy audits for Energy Service Company (ESCO) projects.
80 people - energy auditors, representatives of prospective ESCO companies, private-sector specialists and relevant public institutions from Qarshi, Samarqand, Fergana and Tashkentparticipated in the tailored training programme.
Building the foundations of an ESCO market
Uzbekistan is advancing reforms to reduce energy consumption in public infrastructure and strengthen the role of the private sector in energy-efficiency investments. Schools, hospitals, kindergartens and other public buildings offer considerable potential for reducing energy costs while improving indoor comfort and the quality of public services.
Reliable energy audits are essential for translating this potential into investable projects. They help establish how energy is currently consumed, identify suitable energy-efficiency measures and provide credible estimates of the savings that can be achieved.
For ESCO projects, energy audits also provide the technical basis for setting energy-consumption baselines, defining performance requirements and measuring and verifying the savings achieved during project implementation.
“A credible ESCO market requires confidence that energy savings can be estimated and verified transparently. By strengthening the practical skills of energy auditors and private companies, this training contributes to building trust among public institutions, ESCOs and potential financiers,” said Shokhjahon Islamov, representative of the National Agency for Energy Efficiency.
Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan
From energy auditing principles to practical application
The first day of each training introduced participants to the legal and technical foundations of energy auditing in Uzbekistan and the European Union. The sessions examined the role of different audit types throughout the ESCO project cycle, including Walk-Through Audits and Investment Grade Audits.
Participants also learned how to establish energy-consumption baselines, normalize data according to weather and operating conditions, and select suitable measurement and verification approaches based on the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP).
The second day focused on practical application. Working in groups visited selected public buildings in each region and applied calculation tools to establish baselines, adjust energy consumption for climatic conditions, estimate potential savings and select appropriate verification methods.
“The practical exercises were particularly useful because we worked with building-level data and applied the tools ourselves. This helped us understand how to move from a general energy audit to a calculation that can support an ESCO project and demonstrate savings to both the client and the investor,” said Mukhayo Latipova, Energy Auditor in Fergana.
The calculation templates and supporting materials introduced during the programme can be used by participants in their future work. They provide a structured approach for assessing energy-efficiency measures and documenting the assumptions behind projected and achieved savings.
Supporting market development and investment readiness
The training responded to the growing need for professionals capable of preparing technically sound energy-efficiency projects. It also supported a common understanding among energy auditors, public institutions and private companies of how energy performance should be assessed and verified.
“The emergence of Uzbekistan’s ESCO market will depend not only on enabling legislation and financing, but also on professionals who can prepare credible projects. These training sessions combined international methodologies with practical exercises adapted to the Uzbek context, helping participants develop skills that can be applied directly in public buildings,” said Juraj Klukan, UNDP’s International expert.
The training programme was conducted under the project “Energy Audits – Unlocking the Potential of Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings,” implemented under the wider Public and Private Finance for Development (PPFD) initiative and financed by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic.
