HURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2009
Energy Management – A priority call to the Contemporary Corporate
This week, I had a chance to get introduced to the very new energy management standard - BS EN 16001:2009 Energy Management Systems - Requirements with guidance for use. This standard has been published on 31st July 2009.
BS EN 16001 represents the latest best practices in energy management building upon existing national standards and initiatives. The standard specifies the requirements for an EnMS to enable an organization to develop and implement a policy, identify significant areas of energy consumption and target energy reductions.
Introduction of this standard is quite significant in the present global scenario. Let me share my views:
1. Energy now a day has become so important to an organisation as well as to the society; it was much needed to pay some more attention towards it. Though organisations were reducing energy through their own cost cutting initiatives or under ISO 14001, which was not really a focused approach. Two very vital resources - Energy and Water was getting lost within the paradigm of pollution. The EnMS will rightly serve the purpose to prioritize energy on the corporate agenda.
2. Organisations were conducting Energy Audits – few for improvement and many to comply with legal requirement. The reports could not find a place on the CEO’s agenda & get dumped on the EHS manager’s table. Now at least Energy audit will find some relevance and the isolation will hopefully converted to Plan – Do - Check – Act of improvement.
3. Organisations who are working towards Green House Gas emission reduction can relate their activities in a more harmonized way with Energy Management System.
4. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is on a top priority agenda of many corporate. Certification to EnMS will strengthen the organization’s claim of Energy Management in their Sustainability Reporting.
5. Last but not the least, it paves the way to the forthcoming ISO 50001 on Energy Management which is expected to launch during December 2010.
Features:
Key features of the standard include:
1. The need for an Energy Policy that shall be a statement of commitment towards achieving improved energy performance.
2. The need to identify and review Energy Aspects; elements of an organisation's operation that can affect energy use.
3. The need to produce Energy Objectives and Targets, which it will aim to achieve through use of Energy Management Programs.
Energy management encompasses a full range of issues, including those with strategic and competitive implications.
Demonstration of successful implementation of this Standard can be used by an organisation to assure interested parties that an appropriate energy management system is in place.
The standard is meant to help organizations save on energy costs and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
It is intended to apply to all types and sizes of organizations and to accommodate diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions. This standard applies to the activities under the control of an organization. This standard for energy management systems can be used independently or integrated with any other management system. To facilitate its use, the structure of this standard is similar to the structure of ISO 14001.
Benefits
The overall aim of this European standard is to help organizations establish the systems and processes necessary to improve energy efficiency. This should lead to reductions in cost and greenhouse gas emissions through systematic management of energy. This standard specifies requirements for an energy management system to enable an organization to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and information about significant energy aspects.
Who can go for it?
BS EN 16001 applies to any organization that wishes to:
a) Improve energy performance in a systematic way
b) Establish, implement, maintain and improve an energy management system
c) Ensure that it conforms with its stated energy policy
d) Demonstrate such conformance to others
e) Seek certification of its energy management system by an external organization
f) Make a self-evaluation and self-declaration of conformance with the standard
Contents:
BS EN 16001 is based on a methodology known as plan-do-check-act. The requirements necessary to implement the standard include:
Plan: Identify energy aspects and legal obligations; establish energy objectives and targets.
Do: Assign resources and responsibilities; raise organizational awareness and provide training; communicate internally and externally; establish documentation; implement operational controls.
Check: Establish the monitoring of energy management programs; evaluate compliance with legal obligations; identify and manage non-conformance; control records; carry out internal audits of the energy management system.
Act: Review of energy management systems by management resulting in potential changes.
Contd......
BS EN 16001 represents the latest best practices in energy management building upon existing national standards and initiatives. The standard specifies the requirements for an EnMS to enable an organization to develop and implement a policy, identify significant areas of energy consumption and target energy reductions.
Introduction of this standard is quite significant in the present global scenario. Let me share my views:
1. Energy now a day has become so important to an organisation as well as to the society; it was much needed to pay some more attention towards it. Though organisations were reducing energy through their own cost cutting initiatives or under ISO 14001, which was not really a focused approach. Two very vital resources - Energy and Water was getting lost within the paradigm of pollution. The EnMS will rightly serve the purpose to prioritize energy on the corporate agenda.
2. Organisations were conducting Energy Audits – few for improvement and many to comply with legal requirement. The reports could not find a place on the CEO’s agenda & get dumped on the EHS manager’s table. Now at least Energy audit will find some relevance and the isolation will hopefully converted to Plan – Do - Check – Act of improvement.
3. Organisations who are working towards Green House Gas emission reduction can relate their activities in a more harmonized way with Energy Management System.
4. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is on a top priority agenda of many corporate. Certification to EnMS will strengthen the organization’s claim of Energy Management in their Sustainability Reporting.
5. Last but not the least, it paves the way to the forthcoming ISO 50001 on Energy Management which is expected to launch during December 2010.
Features:
Key features of the standard include:
1. The need for an Energy Policy that shall be a statement of commitment towards achieving improved energy performance.
2. The need to identify and review Energy Aspects; elements of an organisation's operation that can affect energy use.
3. The need to produce Energy Objectives and Targets, which it will aim to achieve through use of Energy Management Programs.
Energy management encompasses a full range of issues, including those with strategic and competitive implications.
Demonstration of successful implementation of this Standard can be used by an organisation to assure interested parties that an appropriate energy management system is in place.
The standard is meant to help organizations save on energy costs and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
It is intended to apply to all types and sizes of organizations and to accommodate diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions. This standard applies to the activities under the control of an organization. This standard for energy management systems can be used independently or integrated with any other management system. To facilitate its use, the structure of this standard is similar to the structure of ISO 14001.
Benefits
The overall aim of this European standard is to help organizations establish the systems and processes necessary to improve energy efficiency. This should lead to reductions in cost and greenhouse gas emissions through systematic management of energy. This standard specifies requirements for an energy management system to enable an organization to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and information about significant energy aspects.
Who can go for it?
BS EN 16001 applies to any organization that wishes to:
a) Improve energy performance in a systematic way
b) Establish, implement, maintain and improve an energy management system
c) Ensure that it conforms with its stated energy policy
d) Demonstrate such conformance to others
e) Seek certification of its energy management system by an external organization
f) Make a self-evaluation and self-declaration of conformance with the standard
Contents:
BS EN 16001 is based on a methodology known as plan-do-check-act. The requirements necessary to implement the standard include:
Plan: Identify energy aspects and legal obligations; establish energy objectives and targets.
Do: Assign resources and responsibilities; raise organizational awareness and provide training; communicate internally and externally; establish documentation; implement operational controls.
Check: Establish the monitoring of energy management programs; evaluate compliance with legal obligations; identify and manage non-conformance; control records; carry out internal audits of the energy management system.
Act: Review of energy management systems by management resulting in potential changes.
Contd......
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