Uzbekistan is entering a new phase of energy policy, turning its construction and urban infrastructure into a key battlefield for cutting energy losses and modernizing the economy. A recent presidential decree on additional measures to increase energy efficiency, save and rationally use energy resources in 2026 sets ambitious goals for this year, including saving 4.3 billion kWh of electricity and 2.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas through wider deployment of energy saving technologies and renewables.
From fragmented inspections to smart energy management
One of the most technologically significant elements of the new framework is the launch of an automated system for rapid energy efficiency assessment of buildings and structures. For the first time, the state is moving from sporadic control of individual sites to a large scale digital monitoring system for energy consumption in the construction sector.
This shift is strategic. International energy organizations estimate that residential and public buildings can account for 35–40 percent of total energy consumption, especially in countries with intensive use of air conditioning and heating and outdated engineering networks. Uzbekistan is no exception. Until now, comprehensive energy audits were mainly carried out at large industrial enterprises, selected government institutions, within investment projects and for individual modern facilities. The process was expensive, lengthy and required specialized experts, leaving most residential and commercial buildings outside any systematic energy monitoring.
The new model fundamentally changes the state’s approach. Energy performance will now be determined through a dedicated electronic platform operating in automated mode. Primary assessment will be based not on on site inspections, but on analysis of a building’s core data. The system is expected to take into account the year of construction, building materials, floor area and height, type of heating, presence and quality of insulation, parameters of windows and roofing, electricity and gas consumption, regional climate and the type of engineering systems.
In practice, this means introduction of elements of smart public governance in the construction and utilities sectors. The state will gain the ability to see, in real time and in digital form, which buildings are the most energy intensive and where modernization is most urgently needed. Crucially, this express assessment will be conducted massively and automatically, allowing thousands of buildings to be screened simultaneously.
Digital energy passports for the building stock
Among the key outcomes of the express assessment will be the creation of an electronic energy passport for each building. This introduces a new digital characteristic of real estate, which over time may become as important as cadastral or technical data. The energy passport is expected to include the building’s energy efficiency class, detailed consumption indicators, recommendations for modernization, records of previous energy audits, information on use of renewable energy sources, and a history of alterations and reconstructions.
Internationally, similar passports are already used in many countries when selling, leasing or operating real estate. In a number of European markets, energy efficiency class directly influences asset value — lower energy losses translate into higher investment attractiveness. For Uzbekistan, this is particularly relevant against the backdrop of rapid housing construction, where multi apartment buildings built in different years often vary drastically in insulation quality and engineering systems. Introducing digital energy passports will help gradually standardize construction quality and make energy performance a visible, comparable characteristic across the market.
At the current stage, the results of automated assessment will be informative rather than punitive. The system does not introduce automatic fines or restrictions for owners. Instead, the focus is on identifying problem zones and building a national database to guide future modernization. Express assessment is seen as a pre screening stage before full scale energy audits. If the system reveals high energy losses or excessive resource consumption, the building can be flagged for deeper examination. This reduces the cost of mass inspections, avoids excessive administrative pressure, allows more efficient use of energy audit specialists and concentrates attention on the least efficient sites.
New financial incentives for manufacturers and enterprises
The decree also introduces a strong incentive for industrial enterprises and manufacturers — a mechanism to reimburse part of the cost of energy audits. Companies will be able to receive a subsidy covering 50 percent of audit expenses if the assessment confirms potential savings of at least 10 percent of energy resources. The maximum compensation per enterprise is set at 100 million soums.
Previously, energy audits were fully financed by businesses themselves, prompting many to delay modernization or limit inspections to formal compliance. Under the new rules, energy audits become an investment tool rather than a pure cost item. They open access to subsidies, unlock concrete savings and create a basis for long term improvements in production processes, engineering systems and building envelopes.
Systemic targets and year round energy saving agenda
The implementing resolution sets specific, monthly energy saving indicators broken down by consumer categories. For the first time, clear obligations are defined for state authorities, social sector institutions, commercial banks and insurance companies, enterprises and the residential housing stock. Earlier, energy saving measures were often recommendatory and focused mainly on the heating season. Now Uzbekistan is introducing a systemic, year round approach with quantitative targets.
Special attention is given to modernization of lighting equipment on roads, expanding the use of renewable energy sources, developing infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations and stimulating green lending for the population. These measures connect energy efficiency policy with urban development, mobility and consumer finance, creating a broader ecosystem in which energy efficient technologies can spread faster through cities, businesses and households.
Long term impact on Uzbekistan’s energy and investment landscape
In the long run, the introduction of digital energy assessment can significantly reshape the entire energy consumption system in the country. For the state, expected benefits include lower load on the power system, reduced gas use during the heating season, fewer emergency grid overloads and stronger energy security. For citizens and businesses, this translates into lower utility bills, more comfortable buildings, higher market value for energy efficient properties and access to preferential and green financing.
The policy marks a clear shift from an extensive model based on constantly increasing energy production to a model of rational consumption and reduction of losses. Experts also see future potential in integrating electronic energy passports with the cadastre, digital platforms for housing and communal services, banking systems for mortgage lending, subsidy programs and green credit lines. Energy performance requirements may become one of the criteria during state acceptance of new construction projects, further embedding efficiency into the core logic of development.
Altogether, Uzbekistan is not only deploying a technical innovation, but beginning to build a full scale digital ecosystem for managing energy consumption, in which every building gradually becomes part of a unified national energy analytics system. This can support a more transparent, data driven approach to urban planning, construction standards and industrial modernization.
Why this matters for international construction and interior businesses
For international companies in furniture, construction, interior and exterior manufacturing, design and architecture, these changes in Uzbekistan signal a rapidly maturing market that is ready to value quality, efficiency and innovation. Digital energy passports and classification systems will make performance criteria explicit, creating demand for better insulated building materials, smart windows, doors and facades, efficient lighting, HVAC systems and energy saving appliances. Developers and property owners will increasingly seek solutions that improve a building’s energy class and documented performance.
The new subsidy mechanisms and green finance tools can ease entry for foreign manufacturers of energy efficient products and technologies, while the year round focus on savings will favor long term partnerships rather than one off projects. For Central Asia oriented investors, Uzbekistan’s move toward structured, digital energy management in the built environment enhances the country’s investment appeal, reduces operational risks tied to energy supply and opens space for collaborative projects in sustainable urban development, smart interiors and high performance building components.
