ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (1)-An Effective Way in Managing Your Energy Consumption

ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM-An Effective Way in Managing Your Energy Consumption

Managing your energy consumption could be very challenging predominantly during present electricity tariff hike and escalation of oil & gas prices. With the increasing of other cost of production such as raw material and labour, reducing the energy cost may the only way out for the company to remain competitive and stay in the business. The Energy Manager will again be the key person who is responsible for reducing the energy consumption.  With the demand from the Management to realize the saving and the same time to identify and implement the energy saving initiatives, an Energy Manager becomes the most odious position in the organisation. Most companies will end up in improving its energy consumption by energy saving projects, albeit achieving an energy efficient plant is not merely limited to projects only.

Achieving an energy efficient company or plant require a concerted effort and a systematic energy management. An Energy Manager is only a person to ensure that all the elements are executed accordingly, and it requires cooperation from cross functional department from technical, finance and administrative personnel.  However with a systematic energy management system, all the above can be achieved to ensure the sustainability of energy saving effort and not rely only to Energy Manager.

Similarly, like ISO9000 and 1SO14000 the first step for the company to start with is developing the Energy Management System Manual/Procedure. A systematic energy management encompasses various key important elements from leadership and commitment, company’s energy policy and objectives, roles and responsibilities, planning and implementation, energy performance auditing and system assessment, and management review.

Leadership and Commitment. While many organisations announced its commitment toward efficiency energy consumption and combating GHG emissions but so little has really demonstrated it. Leadership and commitment from the management in reducing its energy consumption must be visible. Energy key performance indicator must not merely be carried by the middle management and lower position, but also carried by person in the highest rank in the organisation. Not only that, the management should allocate an adequate financial support, resources in terms of manpower and also time.

Objectives and Energy Policy. The objectives and energy policy of the organisation must be clear and well understood by the employee. The organisation must set the target to achieve in a form of energy index. The department who responsible to carry out this task must be clearly stated and the commitment form the management.

Roles and Responsibilities. This encompasses the entire organisation from the top man in the company till the operator level. The energy team organisation chart must be developed and its role is clearly stated. In some extent, all of the staff who involve in the energy team must be recognized by the management and issued by an official appointment letter. The team may comprise Energy Manager, Leader, Champion and Executives/Engineer.

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