The main objective of this study was to identify technological, behavioral and normative barriers for the implementation of energy improvements in high temperature cement and ceramic processes in different regions of Colombia. In order to reach this, identification of the population was done by means of the SIREM database. Use of thermal energy in companies within the cement and ceramic sectors in different regions of Colombia was also identified. Technological barriers were established through energy diagnostics carried out in the selected companies. Behavioral gaps were established through the design of a taxonomic survey based on methods applied in other countries, and the regulatory gaps were established through direct comparison of Colombian regulation against international regulations. In order to determine the technological and regulatory barriers that must be overcome for the implementation of energy measures in the high temperature processes of the sectors studied, a barrier factor was calculated based on the answers raised by the process managers in the companies under investigation. The results show that the cement industry has a very low gap with respect to technological development worldwide, while the ceramic industry still has considerable potential for improvement. Also, for both sectors, hidden costs were the main barrier found for the implementation of energy efficiency improvement solutions and it was verified that the environmental regulation in Colombia is still not strict enough to favor the penetration of new technologies for efficiency in energy use in the sectors studied.