EE through the EnMS lens: energy management systems and its increasing role in addressing industrial energy efficiency

Panel: 3. Energy management: the nuts and bolts

Authors:
Yeen Chan, ICF International, United Kingdom
Michael Dewitt, ICF International, Canada

Abstract

The Energy Management Systems (EnMS) is widely recognized as a game changer in industrial energy efficiency improvement, operational cost reductions, enhanced profitability and competitiveness. EnMS have the potential to drive energy efficiency improvements globally and channel investments into industrial energy efficiency. But are these drivers enough to generate interest and industrial uptake? EnMS as a performance improvement driver is conceptually simple with success highly dependent on the details of its application. The international EnMS standard ISO 50001, and other upcoming national standards, provide a simple framework. It builds on the lessons learned in preceding management system standards ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. However, ISO 50001 adds deeper technical requirements, and necessitates a more robust approach to understanding and measuring performance within a management system structure. Unlike other voluntary management system standards, the accepted norm for EnMS includes demonstrated energy performance improvement. Practitioners, auditors and certification/accreditation schemes globally consistently struggle to ensure EnMS truly drive performance improvement. Nevertheless, EnMS remain crucial in energy efficiency improvement and policy makers are recognizing their potential within energy intensive users. The authors of this abstract present collective lessons from the frontline to address: • Key complexities in setting up and operating a truly effective EnMS; • The shift in market challenges towards evaluating and driving energy performance improvement • The increasing role of supporting standards/guides (ISO 50002, 50003, 50005, 50015 and 17747); • The subtlety between energy consumption, energy intensity and energy performance; • The sophistication of baselining and Energy Performance Indicators (EnPIs); • The move towards the ISO High Level Structure for ISO50001; • The role and converging factors between EnMS and EU’s energy policy framework.