Managing your energy consumption could be very challenging predominantly during present electricity tariff and escalation of oil & gas prices. With the increasing of other production cost such as raw material and labour, reducing the energy cost may the only way for the company to remain competitive and stay in the business. This blog discusses all related issues in managing your energy consumption efficiently and in a systematic way.

Blog ini membincangkan mengenai sistem pengurusan tenaga dan pengunaan tenaga dengan cekap.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Management commitment is an important element for successful energy efficiency programme

Sometimes the top management has put a lot of efforts and support to ensure the successful of energy conservation programme. However the result is still below expectation. It may because of the effort is not visible to the employee. It is very difficult to gauge the commitment of the management in organisation toward the energy efficiency. A good organisation should be able to demonstrate their commitment on the energy issues. This is to set an example to the whole organisation and also to convey the message that the management has taking very seriously in implementing the energy efficiency programme. The key driver for the organisation to embark into energy efficiency is mainly for the cost saving. Some big companies has set their carbon footprint on the environmental and GHG emissions reduction as part of its corporate social responsibility. This is also to one of the way for the company to show its commitment toward environmental effort to the public.

Direct participation by the highest level executives in a specific and critically important aspect or program of an organization. In quality management it includes (1) setting up and serving on a quality committee, (2) formulating and establishing quality policies and objectives, (3) providingresources and training, (4) overseeing implementation at all levels of the organization, and (5) evaluating and revising the policy in light of results achieved- Sources: BusinessDictionary.com

However for the middle management and below including the operators and cleaners, may find this very hard to understand. It is merely because the benefits of energy saving and conservation are not directly impacted to these groups of people due to its nature scope of work. This is where the management has to play an important role in increasing the awareness level to these groups.

There are several important elements usually done by the organisation to demonstrate energy management in the organisation.

1) Staff resources. To show the support, management must allocate adequate resources in terms of manpower to ensure the Energy Manager have enough workforce to carry out his job.

However, what is the management should provide? How many personnel should they allocate? The basic team for energy management consist of energy champion, energy manager and energy leader. What is their role?

Energy Champion. The energy champion is a person where he/she posses among the top management level. Some organisation also define the Energy Champion as Energy sponsor. A senior member of management at the corporate and/or facility level who institutes the Energy Management Team, sets their high-level goals, and approves resources and funding for the team and its approved projects. He will become the management representative at energy management working level. The Champion role is to convey the management directions on energy policy and objectives to Energy Manager. He will oversee the overall programs and to ensure it is inline with management target. The champion will be the middle man between the Energy Manager and company’s top management. The main function of this position is to update the energy programme as well highlighting the barriers to the management. The Champion will play role as a management support to the Energy Management team headed by the Energy manager. This senior member gives (or delegates to other facility senior management) presentations at the energy management assessment tool meetings and employee kick-off meeting.

Besides that, the Energy Champion and Energy manager will be supported by the energy team member. All members should be formally appointed by the management as part of their work recognitions. All members of the team will be responsible for helping the Energy Champion to promote energy efficiency, resource conservation, and best management practices throughout the facility. With the help of their fellow team members and outside resources, they will increase their personal knowledge of resource/energy management, help to raise the level of awareness among all employees and assist the Champion with committee projects and activities as needed. Team members are expected to attend regular meetings called by the Champion.

2) Another important element for the management to portray its energy efficiency commitment is through the budget given to the energy team in implementing the programme. This is apart from the budget for energy efficiency project itself. (continued)

Thursday, January 6, 2011

LED Lighting: What You Need to Know Before You Buy

This article is taken from Source: http://www.sxc.hu/ , good tips and information regarding the LED lighting.
Key Points
  • Only one-third of LED lighting products tested live up to manufacturer's claims.
  • Look for product testing, accreditations, warranty, chip suppliers, and other indications of quality.
  • Consider product features such as light output and lumen depreciation for your specific application.
LED Lights
Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is one of the most exciting developments in energy-efficient lighting. Like any new technology however, it has experienced growing pains. In fact, only about one-third of all LED lighting products tested live up to manufacturer's claims, according to U.S. Department of Energy research (DOE 2009). Given these odds, how can you be sure you have the information you need to make the right purchasing decision?
A panel of lighting experts at the 2010 LightFair International Conference addressed this question and developed a checklist of things to look for. The following is a list of the 10 questions you should ask when choosing LED products for your lighting application:
  1. To what quality standards has the product been tested? Quality standards for LED products are still in the early stages of development, but testing procedures are available from the following trusted organizations:
    • UL 8750 Safety Standard for LED Equipment for Use in Lighting Products is available through Underwriter's Laboratory.
    • The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America has developed IESNA LM-79-08 Approved Method: Electrical and Photometric Measurements of Solid-State Lighting Products and IESNA LM-80-08: Approved Method: Testing Lumen Maintenance of LED Light Sources to measure overall performance and light output over time.
  2. What quality accreditations apply?
    • ENERGY STAR qualified LED lighting products must meet specific criteria in brightness, lumen maintenance, color quality, and other performance standards.
    • Lighting Facts Label. A voluntary program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the label displays important measures such as light output, efficacy, color rendering, and light color—tested according to IESNA LM-79-08 standards
    • Next Generation Luminaires is an annual design competition highlighting LED products that demonstrate high-quality lighting and consistency, glare control, lumen maintenance, and luminaire appearance.
  3. Whose LED chips are used in the luminaire? Chips from recognized suppliers such as Nichia, Cree, Showa Denko, Philips, Epistar, and OSRAM, are an indication of quality in LED products.
  4. What color characteristics are specified? Color rendering index (CRI) is a measure of a light source's ability to reproduce light compared to a natural light source. Color correlated temperature describes the relative appearance of a light source (whether it appears more yellow or blue). IESNA LM-79-08 includes testing methods for both, and ENERGY STAR qualified LED products must meet minimum color-quality measurements.
  5. What efficacy is specified? Efficacy is the ratio of light output (in lumens) to power input—measured in watts. ENERGY STAR qualified LED products must meet minimum efficacy requirements. Lighting Facts Label participants are required to test for efficacy.
  6. What is included in the product warranty? Things to look for include, maximum number of diode failures, acceptable color change, power supply requirements, dimmer use/type, and maximum LEDs per circuit, which may or may not be specified in the warranty. The length of warranty is evidence of a manufacturer's confidence in product life.
  7. What is the acceptable lumen output and depreciation? Lumen output depreciates over time, and according to the DOE, research has shown that occupants will accept gradual light reductions of up to 30% with little notice. Therefore, 70% of the initial light level may be a good threshold for useful life in general lighting applications. In achieving acceptable illumination for your application, also consider the directional nature of LED luminaires and outdoor light quality improvements. Compare the lumen output of the LED product with that of the lighting that is being retrofitted. The Lighting Facts label ensures that LED products meet your performance expectations.
  8. What Light Loss Factor (LLF) should be applied? LLF refers to operating or environmental factors that interfere with light transmission. Be sure to take into account optical losses, ambient temperature, diode failures, lumen depreciation and dirt depreciation.
  9. What dimming characteristics are required? Consider LED performance at dimming levels as well as dimming range and dimming method.
  10. What impact will LED in-rush have on your lighting system? LED current in-rush may occur as frequently as every one-half cycle. This may affect how many LEDs can be ganged together on one dimming control, for instance.
Getting the answers to these questions will help you make a more informed purchasing decision and find the right product to fit your needs.

 

References

Dakin, Jimmalee; Lund, Eric; Ziegenbein, Paula; Zinkon, Ardra. LEDs: The Magical Mystery Tour and the map to guide you through. 2010 LightFair International Conference. Las Vegas, NV
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). CALiPER Summary Report. DOE Solid State Lighting CALiPER Program, October 2009.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Efficient Management of Electrical Energy Regulations 2008 - Suruhanjaya Tenaga

Peraturan 3.Pemakaian
(1) Peraturan-Peraturan ini hendaklah terpakai bagi -
(a) mana-mana pepasangan yang menerima tenaga elektrik daripada seseorang pemegang lesen atau pihak berkuasa bekalan dengan jumlah penggunaan tenaga elektrik menyamai atau melebihi 3,000,000 kWh sebagaimana yang diukur pada satu poin pemeteran atau lebih bagi apa-apa tempoh yang tidak melebihi enam bulan berturut-turut; atau
(b) mana-mana pepasangan yang digunakan, dikerjakan atau dikendalikan oleh seseorang pemegang lesen pepasangan persendirian dengan jumlah bersih penjanaan tenaga elektrik menyamai atau melebihi 3,000,000 kWh bagi  apa-apa tempoh yang tidak melebihi enam bulan berturut-turut.
Peraturan 6. Pemberitahuan oleh Suruhanjaya
(1) Suruhanjaya boleh, pada bila-bila masa melalui notis bertulis, mengarahkan mana-mana pemegang lesen pepasangan persendirian atau pengguna yang jumlah bersih penjanaan tenaga elektrik atau jumlah penggunaan tenaga elektrik, mengikut mana-mana yang berkenaan, menyamai
atau melebihi 3,00,000kWh -
(a)  untuk melantik atau menamakan seorang pengurus tenaga elektrik berdaftar untuk menjalankan fungsi dan kewajipan di bawah peraturan 16 di pepasangan itu;
(b) untuk mengemukakan suatu pengesahan bertulis berkenaan dengan pelantikan kepada Suruhanjaya yang mengandungi nama dan butir-butir mengenai pengurus tenaga elektrik berdaftar
(c) untuk mengemukakan maklumat mengenai -
(i) pernyataan dasar (policy) bagi pengurusan tenaga elektrik dengan cekap
(ii) matlamat (target) pengurusan tenaga elektrik dengan cekap; 
(iii) akaun  dan dokumen berkaitan dengan pengurusan tenaga elektrik dengan cekap;
Peraturan 16. Fungsi dan kewajipan Pengurus tenaga elektrik berdaftar :
(a) dia hendaklah bertanggungjawab -
(i) untuk mengaudit dan menganalisis jumlah penggunaan tenaga elektrik
(ii) untuk menasihati pemegang lesen pepasangan persendirian atau pengguna dalam membangunkan dan melaksanakan langkah bagi memastikan pengurusan tenaga elektrik dengan cekap di pepasangan; dan
(iii) untuk memantau keberkesanan pelaksanaan
(b) dia hendaklah menyelia penyimpanan rekod mengenai pengurusan
tenaga elektrik dengan cekap
(c) dia hendaklah memastikan bahawa pemegang lesen  pepasangan persendirian atau pengguna mengemukakan maklumat dan laporan dalam tempoh yang dinyatakan dalam peraturan