Being pro-active about energy management
August 1st 2007 With a raft of proposals for legislation being put forward by the Government, business and the public sector need to know how best to respond – and to take advantage of the opportunities being presented. Alan Aldridge, executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) outlines some of the issues
he details of the Energy White Paper are still being assimilated but the Government is already pushing on with some of the proposals.The smart metering consultation, for example,was published on 3 August and promises a real shake-up in attitudes towards the most fundamental of energy management techniques,Monitoring and Targeting (M&T) – or automatic Monitoring & Targeting (aM&T) as smart metering is called by many.
But this is only the latest in a number of changes to affect energy and facilities managers.The controversies afflicting the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have overshadowed the essential opportunities offered to building owners and operators by this particular piece of Europeaninspired legislation, but they will become mandatory for all of us sooner rather than later.
Now really is the time to get to grips with the latest thinking and the latest proposals. So ESTA is offering a series of free seminars running alongside the Energy Event in Solihull in September to help energy managers identify which areas they will have to attend to by law over the coming months – and also those which offer opportunities to leverage greater investment in energy management.
The Energy Performance Certificates (and Display Energy Certificates in the case of large, publicly-funded buildings) are among the key issues to focus upon.
The countdown on these is well underway, especially where performance ratings are needed (as is the case with DECs).There has been some confusion over these items which has been compounded by the delays to the introduction of domestic EPCs. Building owners and operators need to be clear whether they will be affected immediately and, if so, how they should respond.
For larger organisations with a number of sites, a structured plan is essential if the introduction is to proceed smoothly.
Monitoring & Targeting is central to any effective management of energy.The advent of automatic systems which remove much of the repetition and time-consuming data entry is revolutionising this task, a fact now recognised by the Government.The Building Regulations give a specific allowance against the Target Emissions Rating for the use of aM&T and the White Paper has now put forward the vision of universal real-time energy consumption displays.A consultation on the proposals was issued at the beginning of August.
The technologies have been in use for some time. A trial by the Carbon Trust has shown how it is not only large energy users that can benefit.The results indicated that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could save on average about 11% of energy costs by using it. So, ESTA will be looking at the practicalities of implementing aM&T or smart metering in order to take most advantage.
Other topics include a session, jointly organised with the British Compressed Air Society, on reducing losses from compressed air systems – these are still the most expensive site service for many industrial concerns.
And, for newcomers to the industry, there will be a session – on each day – about the basic rules for effective control of energy in buildings.
Energy management is a practical subject – it is concerned with the effective application of technology (and commonsense) in order to cut bills and reduce emissions.That is the logic underlying all sessions ESTA is offering at the Energy Event.
Come along and find out how you can save energy – in practice, not just in theory! The Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) is organising a series of free seminars at this year's Energy Event, being held at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, Birmingham on 12-13 September. For more details and to register, please visit:www.esta.org.uk | 
