There seems to be a low level of awareness of what is energy management even in many established organisations. Many are not aware that it is a very effective strategy that can be applied in offices and industrial sites.
What is energy management? It is an efficient way of monitoring, controlling and conserving energy in a building or organisation.
Why is this discipline important?
First, it reduces costs, particularly at this time with energy costs continuing to skyrocket.
• It reduces carbon emissions with its accompanying environmental damage.
• More and more companies and organizations are improving their image in the business community as good stewards of the environment by reducing their carbon footprint.
• More energy consumed could affect profitability unless demand is reduced and controlled to make it more predictable.
What you cannot measure cannot be controlled. This applies very well to energy management. The first step starts with metering energy consumption and collecting the data.
The conservative way is to manually collect data by reading meters once a week or once a month. The problem with this approach is your readings cannot show you how much you’re using at different times of the day or the week.
With detailed interval energy consumption data, measuring and recording data is done automatically at regular intervals of 15 to 30 minutes. This establishes a pattern for you to identify the routine waste in your building.
The second step is to identify the opportunities to save energy with the data you have collected. This can include finding routine energy waste. Through energy management, it is easier to spot why there is an increase of energy usage, particularly during weekends when there is no office work.
The third step is to implement those energy-saving opportunities, whether they involve upgrading the chillers or retrofitting the glazing in your windows. Another way is to get the cooperation of the building occupants so that they can join your program to save energy.
The fourth step is to monitor your progress. If you have installed equipment that are supposed to help you save energy, you will have to closely monitor if they are indeed saving energy. This includes sensors, control-equipment settings and timers.