What is an Energy Management System (EnMS)?

What is an Energy Management System?

Energy consumers, including businesses, governments, and other establishments, use Energy Management Systems (EnMS) to manage their energy usage. It aids businesses in finding ways to adopt and enhance energy-management technologies, even those that do not necessarily require a significant capital outlay. Most of the time, specialised knowledge and staff training are necessary to effectively implement an EnMS.

An Energy Management System, according to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), entails creating and implementing an energy policy, deciding on realistic goals for energy use, and creating a plan of action to get there. This also entails using new energy-saving technologies, cutting energy wastage, or optimising current procedures to reduce energy costs.

Many governments are actively exploring or implementing strategies to promote industry adoption. Promoting adherence to the ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard is one way. EnMS is emerging as a successful method for governments, businesses, and other public and private sector organisations to cut energy use.

The Need for Energy Management Systems

There are now countless examples of businesses in the industrial and other sectors implementing an EnMS and significantly enhancing their energy efficiency. They have successfully lowered energy costs, other associated costs, and exposure to fluctuating energy prices, and, more importantly, they have improved technical process control, productivity, and process stability. You will see progress in many aspects of your technical processes if your company is willing to invest the time and effort necessary to implement an effective EnMS. There are several arguments in favour of implementing this significant technology in the following facilities:

• Helps cut operating costs

  Numerous studies show that an Energy Management System has decreased a building's operating costs. The facilities can save significantly on HVAC systems and other energy-heavy processes with the effective implementation of energy management solutions. In an EMS, automation, optimised labour effort, and efficient asset maintenance combine to lower operational costs. The users can effectively predict their energy budgets and usage at the same time. When occupants are absent, they can ensure that electrical equipment is not in use.

• Reducing carbon emissions

  The energy sector has undergone significant shifts. It is important to comply with the newly developed regulations to control emissions. To reduce their carbon footprint, maximise resources, assess the environmental impact of their offerings, and take appropriate corrective action, businesses should adopt an energy management system and other solutions. After all, only when companies consider their energy consumption and its effects on the environment are long-term and sustainable operations possible.

• Boosting the systems' overall productivity

  Sometimes, people do not feel at ease inside a space. They can increase their productivity by adjusting the lighting or temperature systems. Energy management systems can optimise the electrical equipment inside a building to reduce energy consumption. Additionally, it ensures occupant comfort. All of this increases work processes' productivity.

• Reducing expenditure on energy

  We usually want to reduce our energy usage not only for the purpose of saving money. The need to go green and social responsibility cannot be neglected. Companies and governments are looking for ways to make daily energy consumption more efficient.

  From a marketing angle, an Energy Management System helps businesses increase their revenue. Buildings can eliminate energy wastage points with tools like smart metres, real-time power usage monitoring, and data-driven predictions.

• Maximising upkeep of assets
  If there is negligence in routine maintenance, this jeopardises the most productive assets' ability to perform their jobs. The upkeep is also necessary to ensure that equipment uses no more than the essential amount of energy.

Components of Energy Management Systems

The following elements make up an Energy Management System (EnMS), which enables an organisation to plan, manage, measure, and continuously improve the energy performance of its facilities:

1. Duties and Accountability: An energy management team deploying an EnMS must include a qualified designated employee serving as an appointed energy manager. Preferably, the energy manager will hold professional-level Singapore Certified Energy Manager (SCEM) certification or participate in the SCEM training programme.
2. Energy Regulation: The outlining of the organisation's commitment to enhancing energy performance in the energy policy is a significant part of the process. The organisation's top management is responsible for defining the energy policy, ensuring it is appropriate for its energy use and consumption, given its size and nature. It must include a commitment to ongoing energy performance improvement.
3. Energy Targets and Objectives: Establishing timelines to achieve the goals and targets is important. The goals and milestones must align with the energy policy.
4. Improved Energy Efficiency Strategy: A plan to increase energy efficiency should be part of an EnMS to meet established goals and targets.
5. Monitoring, Assessing, and Evaluating: The monitoring, measurement, and analysis of important operational factors that affect an organisation's energy performance should involve the use of an EnMS. Significant energy use within the organisation and pertinent factors relating to energy performance indicators should be among the key characteristics.

Applicable Standards for Energy Management Systems

The creation of the ISO 50001 standard was for businesses to minimise their impact, preserve resources, and boost their bottom line through effective energy management. This ISO standard, which aims to support businesses of all sizes, offers a workable strategy for reducing energy consumption through the creation of an Energy Management System (EnMS).

The continual improvement management system model, which is also the foundation for other well-known standards like ISO 9001 or ISO 14001, serves as the basis for ISO 50001. Because of this, it is simpler for businesses to incorporate energy management into their broader initiatives to enhance quality and environmental management.

ISO 50001 provides organisations with a framework of requirements to:

• Create a strategy for more energy-efficient use, set goals and targets to achieve it
• Utilise data to comprehend and make energy-related decisions more clearly
• Analyse the outcomes
• Examine the effectiveness of the policy and keep enhancing energy management

ISO Certification for Energy Management Systems

To integrate energy management best practices into your current management system and help you significantly reduce your energy consumption, TÜV SÜD can assist you in setting up an Energy Management System (EnMS) that complies with the ISO 50001 standard.

Similar to other ISO standards, certification under ISO 50001 is discretionary. Some companies adopt the standard purely for its benefits. Others choose to obtain the certification to establish their credibility in the market.

Through thorough analysis, our experts can support energy management and assessment, including identifying compliance with legal and standard requirements. Utilise TÜV SÜD's expertise in energy management to develop new energy-saving strategies and to keep an eye on energy usage with tested measurements and surveying techniques.

Conclusion

Many organisations are just starting to follow in the footsteps of experienced sustainable companies as corporate sustainability has become essential. Additionally, many businesses struggle to put the proper pieces together to create a successful effort to reduce consumption and costs because many of their energy management programmes are still in the early stages of development.

To monitor, regulate, and reduce their energy consumption and achieve better financial and societal outcomes, many businesses are turning to energy management programmes like ISO management system standards. Through these measures, companies can significantly lower their costs by keeping an erudite grip on monitoring, controlling, and conserving their energy use.

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