Energy management

Energy management is the forward-looking, organised and systematic co-ordination of the procurement, conversion, distribution and utilisation of energy in order to identify and achieve energy-saving potentials and reduce operating costs.

Energy management is a constant process. Energy auditing is a part of energy management.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) international standard ISO 50001 (Energy management systems – requirements with guidance for use) provides instructions and stipulates the requirements for an energy management system (EMS). It provides a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy management system for any type of organisation, regardless of its size, location or activity.

An energy management system (EMS), should be implemented by both the management and operational personnel, and includes:

• Appointing staff responsible for implementing it.
• Inventory of energy consuming equipment, their location, type and quantity of energy consumed by each.
• Identifying barriers to energy efficiency, such as:
  • Energy costs not being a focus of management.
  • Nobody being officially responsible for energy management.
  • Lack of information.
  • Reluctance to grant external energy auditors access to facilities.
  • Limited resources for investment in energy efficiency measures.
• Energy awareness training.
• Monitoring and metering.
• Implementing energy-saving measures which may be low-cost, easy to implement measures (‘low-hanging fruits’) or costlier measures.
  • Development of energy consumption targets.
• Management of energy security risks.
• Evaluation of energy performance.
• Improvement of energy management processes.
• Management of investments in energy efficiency.