Energy Management

Energy management includes the planning and the operation of energy resources and energy consumption.

Our objectives are resource conservation and cost savings, while the users have permanent access to the energy they need. It is connected closely to environmental management, production management, logistics and other established business functions.

Integration of an EMP

It is important to integrate the energy management plan (EMP) into the organisational structure, so that the EMP can be implemented.

Responsibilities and the interaction of the decision makers should be regularised. The delegation of functions and competencies extend from the top management to the executive worker. Furthermore, a comprehensive coordination can ensure the fulfilment of the tasks.

Integration of an EMP

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Energy Management in Operational Functions

Production

Production is the act of creating output, a product or service which has value and contributes to the utility of individuals.

This central process may differ depending on the industry.

Industrial companies have facilities that require a lot of energy.
Service companies, in turn, do not need many materials, their energy-related focus is mainly facility management or Green IT. Therefore the energy-related focus has to be identified first, then evaluated and optimised.

Energy Procurement

Procurement is the acquisition of goods or services. Energy prices fluctuate constantly, which can significantly affect the energy bill of organisations. Therefore poor energy procurement decisions can be expensive.

Organisations can control and reduce energy costs by taking a proactive and efficient approach to buying energy. Even a change of the energy source can be a profitable and eco-friendly alternative.

Facility Management

Facility management is an important part of energy management, because a huge proportion (average 25 per cent) of complete operating costs are energy costs.

According to the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), facility management is “a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, processes and technology.”

The central task of energy management is to reduce costs for the provision of energy in buildings and facilities without compromising work processes. Especially the availability and service life of the equipment and the ease of use should remain the same.

Production Planning and Control

Usually, production is the area with the largest energy consumption within an organisation.

Therefore also the production planning and control becomes very important. It deals with the operational, temporal, quantitative and spatial planning, control and management of all processes that are necessary in the production of goods and commodities.

The “production planner” should plan the production processes so that they operate on an energy efficient way. For example, strong power consumption can be moved into the night time. Peaks should be avoided for the benefit of a unified load profile.

Energy Strategies

A long-term energy strategy should be part of the overall strategy of a company. This strategy may include the objective of increasing the use of renewable energies. Furthermore, criteria for decisions on energy investments, such as yield expectations, are determined.

By formulating an energy strategy, companies have the opportunity to avoid risks and to assure a competitive advance against their business rivals.