Once a corporate decision has been made to initiate an energy management program, a special management structure within the company's organizational framework needs to be created, in view of the special role of energy as a common input across different divisions, departments and sections.
The energy management structure will depend on the size of the enterprise, its functions organization and its manufacturing activities. In large enterprises having several plants, an energy manager reporting to the plant manger and to the corporate energy manager would be responsible for the energy management coordinators in each division. At the department level, the most effective practice is to make a supervisor responsible for the energy management program.
The structure in medium size companies could be similar to that for a single plant in large companies. In small companies, it may not be necessary to have an energy manager at all. This role could be assigned
to any of the mangers responsible for engineering, maintenance or production, or to a senior staff member.
A useful practice is for the energy managers and coordinators to be assisted by committees consisting of representatives of various functional areas such as engineering, maintenance, utilities, production, etc. These committees would assist in developing programs and formulating plans, serve as a channel for communication back to personnel in their functional areas, and also serve as a forum for review and generation of ideas.
while considerable management effort is expended in monitoring raw material consumption or production output, very little or no real attention is generally paid to monitoring energy consumption.
It is generally ignored in the belief that the energy use cannot be controlled. A focal point in the form of energy manager would be very essential, particularly in large organization. plant energy management programs should be set up to include:
- Audits of energy consuming activities, to document clearly all facets of energy use and to identify conservation opportunities.
- Target/goals for energy efficiency improvement, which will be based on the initial plant audits, and which will include careful consideration of implementation schedules.
- Monitoring of energy consumption and related production activities, on a regular basis, in order to check on progress towards targets, to identify problem areas at an early stage, and to develop modified targets for year to year, as appropriate.
- Training programs and the availability of technical and engineering information to encourage energy efficiency, and to provide employees with the needed skills to achieve improved performance.
- Development of capital investment programs oriented to improved energy efficiency, including better control systems for operating plants.
- Comprehensive and clear reporting systems including financial controls and accountability for energy efficiency performance within appropriate departments or subdivisions for the plant, including the analysis of variations in the actual and expected performances.
