Good Practices for Energy Efficiency

As noted above, energy efficiency is a continuous process that involves participation from employees at all levels of an enterprise. As a general guide to enterprises in all sectors, the following are some good practices to improve energy efficiency.

An enterprise should consider establishing an energy policy, which is either standalone or part of its environmental policy, if it has one. An energy policy and accompanying action plan should have clearly defined strategic objectives and achievable targets that reflect the enterprise’s goals.

Establish an Energy Policy

Use Awareness Tools

Among employees, an enterprise should generate awareness on energy usage and any other energyrelated issues. Tools to raise awareness include posters in the enterprise, newsletters or pamphlets.

Conduct Training Programmes

An enterprise should conduct training programmes on energy efficiency, which should be scheduled once a month to strengthen the skills of the employees. The enterprise should consider testing the knowledge of their employees before and after trainings.

Monitor and Access Energy Data

An enterprise should monitor energy consumption data, both at the enterprise level and at the equipment level. Energy monitoring should be done over a longer period of time to show trends, which will help sustain the improvements made towards energy efficiency, help model energy consumption and requirements for the future and identify opportunities for further reduction.

An enterprise should conduct regular energy audits, which are necessary to identify energy savings options and help the enterprise focus on priorities that would give the best return on investment. An enterprise should implement the findings from the energy audit based on their potential impact and payback period.

Set Targets to Optimize Energy Use

An enterprise should set energy-use targets by identifying the most energy-consuming operations and processes and then planning its energy efficiency interventions based on which processes would have the biggest impact on energy savings and the largest return on investment. The targets should be defined in terms of SEC and must be different for thermal and electrical energy (in enterprises where both types of energy are used).

Employ Renewable Energy Options

An enterprise should consider employing renewable energy options such as solar heating for generating hot water for sanitary purposes, waste biomass as fuel, PV systems, etc. These solutions will result in high energy savings while reducing the release of pollutants into the atmosphere and water.

Sustain Achieved Improvements

An enterprise should consider pursuing ISO 50001 certification, which demonstrates that the enterprise uses a specific energy management system. Establishing and maintaining ISO certification requires regular follow-ups and monitoring by top management. Putting such a system in place helps sustain the energy efficiency improvements in the long term and also promotes continual improvements.