Starting an Energy Management Program:
Several items contribute to the successful start of an energy management Program. They include
- Visibility of the program start-up
- Demonstration of management commitment to the program
1.Visibility of Start up:
To be successful, an energy management program must have the backing of the people involved. Obtaining this support is often not an easy task, so careful planning is necessary.
The people must:
- Understand why the program exists and what its goals are;
- See how the program will affect their jobs and income;
- Know that the program has full management support; and
- Know what is expected of them.
Communicating this information to the employees is a joint task of management and the energy management coordinator. The company must take advantage of all existing communications channels while also taking into consideration the preceding four points. Some methods that have proven useful in most companies include:
Memos:
Memos announcing the program can be sent to all employees. A comprehensive memo giving fairly complete details of the program can be sent to all management personnel from first-line supervision up. A more succinct one can be sent to all other employees that briefly states why the program is being formed and what is expected of them. These memos should be signed by local top management.
News Releases:
Considerable publicity often accompanies the program start-up. Radio, TV, posters, newspapers, and billboards can all be used. The objective here is to obtain as much visibility for the program as possible and to reap any favorable public relations that might be available. News releases should contain information of interest to the general public as well as employees.
Meetings:
Corporate, plant, and department meetings are sometimes used, in conjunction with or in lieu of memos, to announce the program and provide details. Top management can demonstrate commitment by attending these meetings. The meeting agenda must provide time for discussion and interaction.
2.Demonstration of Management Commitment
Management commitment to the program is essential, and this commitment must be obvious to all employees if the program is to reach its full potential. Management participation in the program start-up demonstrates this commitment.
3.Early Project Selection
The energy management program is on treacherous footing in the beginning. Most employees are afraid their heat is going to be set back, their air conditioning turned off, and their lighting reduced. If any of these actions do occur, it’s little wonder employee support wanes. These things might occur eventually, but wouldn’t it be smarter to have less controversial actions as the early projects.
An early failure can also be harmful, if not disastrous, to the program. Consequently, the astute energy management coordinator will “stack the deck” in his or her first set of projects. These projects should have a rapid payback, a high probability of success, and few negative consequences.
These ideal projects are not as difficult to find as you might expect. Every plant has a few good opportunities, and the energy management coordinator should be looking for them. One good example involved a rather dimly lit refrigerator warehouse area. Mercury vapor lamps were used in this area. The local energy management coordinator did a relamping project. He switched from mercury vapor lamps to high pressure sodium lamps (a significantly more efficient source) and carefully designed the system to improve the lighting levels. Savings were quite large; less energy was needed for lighting; less “heat of light” had to be refrigerated; and, most important, the employees liked it. Their environment was improved since light levels were higher than before.
Other examples you should consider include:
- Repairing steam leaks. Even a small leak can be very expensive over a year and quite uncomfortable for employees working in the area.
- Insulating steam, hot water, and other heated fluid lines and tanks. Heat loss through an uninsulated steam line can be quite large, and the surrounding air may be heated unnecessarily.
- Install high efficiency motors. This saves dramatically on the electrical utility cost in many cases, and has no negative employee consequences. However, the employees should be told about the savings since motor efficiency improvement has no physically discernible effect, unlike the lighting example above.
3.Summary
This chapter has discussed the need for energy management, the historical use of energy, and the design, initiation, and management of energy management programs. The chapter emphasizes energy accounting, especially cost center accounting and necessary sub metering. We defined an energy management activity as any decision that involves energy and affects the profit level. Anything that improves profits and/or enhances competitive positions is considered effective energy management, and anything else is poor energy management. The motivation for starting energy management programs is multi-faceted and varies among companies.
The following outline lists the major reasons:
· Economic—Energy management will improve profits and enhance competitive positions.
· National good Energy management is good for the economy as the balance of payments becomes more favorable and the dollar stronger.
Energy management makes us less vulnerable to energy cutoffs or curtailments due to political unrest or natural disasters elsewhere. Energy management is kind to our environment as it eases some of the strain on our natural resources and may leave a better world for future generations.
In designing an energy management program, several ingredients are vital:
· Top Management commitment. Commitment from the top must be strong and highly visible.
· One-person responsibility. The responsibility for the energy management program must lie in one person who reports as high in the organization structure as possible.
· Committee backup. The energy management coordinator must have the support of two committees. The first is a steering committee, which provides direction for the program. The second is a technical committee, which provides technical backup in the necessary engineering disciplines.
· Reporting and monitoring. An effective monitoring and reporting system for energy consumption must be provided.
· Training. Energy management is a unique undertaking. Hence, training and retraining at all levels is required.
To successfully start an energy management program, some publicity must accompany the early stages. This can be achieved with news releases, films, plant meetings, or a combination of them. Early project selection is a critical step. Early projects should be visible, and should have good monetary returns, with few negative consequences.
Management and creative personnel are always critical components of an energy management program. Tough, specific, and measurable goals need to be developed. Once the goals are established, management should carefully monitor the results, but the energy management staff should be allowed to perform its functions.
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