Upgrading a building's energy systems usually means one thing stands in the way: the upfront capital. Energy Performance Contracting removes that obstacle by letting the savings a project generates pay for the project itself, so an organisation can modernise its lighting, HVAC or insulation without disrupting its budget.

The Training Course in Structuring and Managing Energy Performance Contracts, offered by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, walks participants through how that arrangement actually works — from selecting an energy service company (ESCO) and structuring the financial model, to the measurement and verification protocols that prove savings are real.

Participants leave able to evaluate the feasibility of an EPC project, negotiate contract terms that protect their organisation, and manage a project through implementation, monitoring and the disputes or adjustments that can arise along the way — whether they work in the public or private sector.

Target Audience

• Energy managers and sustainability consultants incorporating performance contracting into their strategies.
• Facility managers and building operators seeking to implement energy-saving solutions without upfront capital.
• Project managers in the public and private sectors involved in energy efficiency and renovation projects.
• Financial analysts, investors, government officials and regulators evaluating or overseeing energy performance contracts.

Course Objectives

• Explain how Energy Performance Contracting works and the value it offers compared with traditional financing options.
• Identify the key components of an EPC agreement, including stakeholder roles, financial mechanisms and performance guarantees.
• Select and negotiate with an energy service company (ESCO) and structure a financially sound project.
• Apply measurement and verification (M&V) protocols, including IPMVP options, to confirm that projected savings are achieved.
• Manage EPC projects through implementation, monitoring and long-term performance, including handling disputes and adjustments.
• Track emerging trends — digitalisation, smart grids and IoT — shaping the future of EPC.

Module 1: The Logic of Energy Performance Contracting

• How EPC differs from loans, grants and other efficiency financing: savings-funded investment with no upfront capital.
• Key stakeholders: energy service companies (ESCOs), clients, financiers and government bodies.
• Benefits for building owners and the challenges of ensuring accurate measurement of savings.

Module 2: From Feasibility to a Signed Contract

• Initial project planning, energy audits and setting realistic savings objectives.
• Evaluating financial viability: savings-to-investment ratio, internal rate of return and repayment schedules.
• Selecting and negotiating with an ESCO, and drafting a contract that protects both parties.

Module 3: Financial Structure and Legal Framework

• Financing routes for EPC projects, including third-party financing, loans, grants and tax incentives.
• Types of savings guarantees: savings-based, performance-based and hybrid models.
• Contractual clauses, risk management and dispute resolution mechanisms within EPC agreements.

Module 4: Delivering the Technical Project

• Common energy-saving technologies used in EPC projects: lighting, HVAC, insulation and renewables.
• Designing and coordinating project implementation, from contractor selection to timelines.
• The role of smart meters, automation and building management systems in sustaining performance.

Module 5: Proving the Savings: Measurement and Verification

• Why M&V matters and the IPMVP options (A, B and C) used to validate results.
• Establishing baseline and post-installation energy use for accurate comparison.
• Independent auditing, transparent reporting and resolving discrepancies between projected and actual savings.

Module 6: Sustaining Performance and Looking Ahead

• Ongoing monitoring, maintenance and stakeholder management after project completion.
• Integrating EPC into an organisation's long-term sustainability strategy and evaluating lifecycle benefits.
• Emerging trends — digitalisation, smart grids and IoT — and how policy and market shifts are reshaping EPC.