Your questions? - Our answers!
For a quick overview, we have put together the most common questions for you.
Sense electra - in a nutshell
We are an energy service provider that offers heat contracting and meter operation for commercial customers and landlords. In addition, we carry out energy services and look for suitable electricity, gas and heat tariffs for you.
- Meter operator – as a meter operator, we are responsible for all necessary workflows and administrative tasks related to your electricity and gas supply.
- Contracting company – as your energy partner, we provide electrical and thermal energy for you. In this regard, we specialize in the operation of combined heat and power plants (CHP). We build, plan and finance your new energy system.
Contact person
Every customer has a personal contact, which will be assigned to you after contacting sense electra.
Heat supply
Fill out our contact form and inquire about an individual offer for a new heat supplier. The only thing we need is your annual consumption.
Our heat supply depends on your personal heat demand and on the current market conditions. We are happy to provide you with an individual, free quote.
Your heat billing is based on the power and consumption of your energy supply system. You will receive monthly billing by post.
Power supply
Very easily. Enter the desire to change your electricity supplier in our contact form. We will take care of all switching formalities – of course, for free.
Our electricity rates depend on current electricity market conditions and your energy consumption. Please contact us for an individual offer.
Electricity billing: intelligent metering systems – your energy consumption data is securely transferred to our server and stored in an electronic database. Based on these data, we will create your monthly billing. These are conveniently sent to your home.
Electricity billing: Public electricity network – You will receive a monthly bill on the electricity consumed from the public electricity grid.
Electricity billing: Combined heat and power plant – You will receive monthly billing on the electricity consumed via the combined heat and power plant.
The reading of your electricity meter is done electronically and remote via the internet
Contracting
Contracting is the cooperation between a contractor (service provider) and a contracting customer (service taker).
Our contracting offers include the supply of electricity, heat and cooling.
One differentiates between two forms:
Energy-saving contracting: In this form of contracting, the contractor bindingly guarantees the contracting party its savings potential for the agreed contract term.
Energy contracting: The contractor provides the costumer with the desired energy service in the form of a full service package, which includes planning, installation and financing.
Contracting pursues the goal of sustainably reducing the energy consumption of your real estate and your company as well as your energy costs.
- Increasing the profitability
- High and stable supply security
- Reduction of C02 emissions
- Lower your energy costs
Intelligent measuring systems
Smart-Metering systems are a new kind of electricity meters. They combine a modern measuring device and a communication unit.
Intelligent measuring systems support the communication flow in the energy network and make your energy consumption data visible.
• Energy savings through adjusted usage behavior
• Acquire the measured values in real time or every 15 minutes
• Digital transmission of the measured data to your meter operator
• Insight into your consumption data and electricity billing
• Variable tariff options
A direct disadvantage is not apparent. However, it should be ensured that the measurement data on the server are very well secured. Unauthorized third parties may otherwise draw conclusions from the usage data on the behavior or production methods.
Combined heat and power plant
A combined heat and power plant is a highly efficient power generation plant. This compact cogeneration plant simultaneously produces heat and electricity.
- Increase of energy efficiency
- Reduction of energy costs
- Increasing the profitability
- Increase in value of the property
- Active contribution to environmental protection
- Independence from the electricity supplier
From an economic and ecological point of view, there are no obvious disadvantages.
A combined heat and power plant is particularly profitable for properties with a continuous heat requirement, for example:
- Commercial and industrial companies with process-related heat demand
- Swimming pools
- Hospitals
- Management Objects
- Single and multiple dwellings
You will find detailed information under „Combined Heat and Power Plant“. As part of a heat contracting, we provide you with a CHP if needed.
Energy certificate
An energy certificate documents the energy efficiency of your property. It provides you with important information about the energy consumption and modernization needs of your property. The energy pass has been a mandatory document since 01.10.2008.
For new buildings as well as for the new lease and the sale of apartments or buildings an energy certificate must be present.
Houses and apartments built after 2008, modernized and non-modernized buildings, i.e. Houses built before 2008, with 1-4 apartments and old buildings with 5 apartments require an energy certificate.
Consumption-based certificate or consumption certificate („verbrauchsorientierter Ausweis“ or „Verbrauchsausweis“):
The data on this energy pass is determined based on the recorded energy consumption over the last three years; i.e. by heating bills. The consumption certificate can be influenced by the heating behavior of the residents and is cheaper than a demand certificate due to the lower data collection effort.
Demand-oriented certificate or demand certificate („bedarfsorientierter Ausweis“ or „Bedarfsausweis“):
The issuing of a demand certificate is more extensive than that of the consumer certificate, because it takes into account more factors, such as the building fabric and the plant technology of the building. Therefore, the demand report provides more meaningful data on the energy efficiency of a building.
Whether a demand certificate or a consumer certificate is needed depends on the residential units and the age of the residential building.
Demand Certificate:
- For new buildings
- For residential buildings with 1-4 apartments with planning permission before 01.11.1977
Freedom of choice between demand certificate and consumer certificate:
- Residential building with 5 or more apartments
- Residential buildings with 1-4 apartments whose application for construction was made after 01.11.1977
- Residential buildings with 1-4 apartments whose application for construction was submitted before 01.11.1977, but which meet the requirements of the “1. Wärmeschutzverordnung” (1st Heat Protection Ordinance).
Office and administrative buildings as well as commercial and shopping centers require an energy certificate for non-residential buildings. In this, the energy requirements for the lighting, ventilation and air conditioning are included.
All new buildings require an energy certificate. Likewise, when letting or selling flats and buildings, an energy certificate is required; a distinction must be made between the demand certificate and the consumption certificate.
- Insight into the energy efficiency of the property
- Insight or perspective on the energy costs of the property
- Effective modernization planning possible
There are no identifiable disadvantages of an energy pass.
Detailed information about the energy pass can be found here:
Energy audit
An energy audit goal is to review your company’s energy efficiency and then improve it through various identified measures. Energy audits are mandatory for certain companies. It must be repeated every 4 years. Energy audits are virtually the precursor to the introduction of an energy management system. An energy audit can be considered part of a complete energy management system.
Since the 5th of December 2015, the performance of an energy audit in accordance to the legal standard DIN EN 16247-1 is mandatory for all companies which are not micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) there is no energy auditing proof.
Our chart gives an overview which companies are required to conduct an energy audit:
- Less effort than the implementation of an energy management system
- Energy guzzlers are revealed
- The first effective energy-saving measures can then be taken
There are no obvious disadvantages, as this will make you aware of the energy flows and / or biggest energy guzzlers and will suggest improvements to eliminate them. Compared to an energy management system, however, the efficiency of an energy audit is lower, since usually only isolated measures are taken to improve energy efficiency and it is not possible to investigate the holistic system and various processes.
Detailed information on energy audits can be found here:
Energy Management System
An energy management system is an efficiency tool integrated into a company’s processes, which in return reduces operating costs.
There is no obligation for companies to introduce an energy management system. However, it replaces the obligation to carry out the energy audits for non-SMEs and municipal companies. Nevertheless, the integration is recommended for all types of companies.
- Holistic consideration of energy flows and processes related to energy consumption
- Long-term energy efficiency increase
- Reduction of operating costs
- Employees are involved
- Positive external effect
- Financial state support
- The implementation of an energy management system replaces the energy audit obligation
There are no obvious disadvantages. For the implementation of an energy management system you should have enough time resources. However, this time investment definitely pays off due to the permanent reduction in operating costs resulting from the energy management system.