A key component of ISO 50001 is energy assessment – a process that is not only legally required but also crucial for the success of an energy management system. In this article, we explain why energy assessment is important, what it entails, and how it can be effectively implemented. We place special emphasis on creating an energy balance and defining significant energy users (SEU).
What is an Energy Assessment and Why is it Important?
Energy assessment forms the foundation of every energy management system. It involves systematically collecting, analyzing, and evaluating data on a company’s energy consumption. The goal: to identify significant energy users (SEU) and discover opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
Energy assessment helps energy managers to:
- Understand consumption patterns: What structures and consumption profiles exist within the company? Which systems, facilities, and processes consume the most energy?
- Identify optimization potential: Where can savings be achieved?
- Define energy targets: Which areas offer the greatest potential for improvements?
- Prioritize measures: Which investments are most impactful?
Creating an Energy Balance: The Core of Energy Assessment
What is an Energy Balance?
The energy balance is a central element of energy assessment. It represents the energy flow within the company and maps how much energy enters and exits the system. Consumption data from facilities, processes, and systems are collected and displayed in a clear structure.
Components of an Energy Balance
- Energy flow structure: Depiction of all energy inputs and outputs, as well as their assignment to specific consumers.
- Consumption data: Collection and analysis of data on energy use by individual systems, facilities, and processes.
- Categorization of consumers: Differentiation between significant and non-significant energy users.
Why is the Energy Balance Crucial?
The energy balance forms the basis for identifying significant energy users (SEU). It reveals:
- Which consumers have the greatest impact on energy efficiency.
- Which systems, facilities, or processes must be prioritized.
- How energy use has changed over the years due to new facilities, process changes, or fluctuating personnel.
The Energy Assessment Process
- Create an Energy Flow Structure
The first step is to establish the company’s energy flow structure. Floor plans and layout diagrams can be helpful in identifying and documenting all energy inputs, outputs, and specific consumers.
- Data Point Planning
Based on the energy flow structure, analyze which data points exist and which are missing. This overview is crucial for targeted data point planning. A good data point plan includes all data points relevant for the energy balance and management. These may include measured, estimated, or calculated data, along with their origins, sources, and planned time series intervals.
- Collect Data
Next, collect all relevant energy consumption data. This step should include measured, estimated, and calculated data, considering the form, interval, and time series. Data sources may include measuring devices, monitoring tools, MES or ERP systems, Excel files, or other systems. A systematic and thorough approach is essential.
- Define SEUs
Using the energy balance and collected data, identify significant energy users (SEU). These serve as the starting point for subsequent steps. In addition to typical high-consumption SEUs, temporary optimization SEUs may also be identified—these may not necessarily have high consumption but offer significant optimization potential.
- Identify and Document Influencing Factors
For each SEU, identify and document static and dynamic influencing factors. These factors may be affected by process changes or shifting responsibilities. Dynamic influencing factors, usually captured as time-series data, are required for creating energy performance indicators (EnPIs). These data points should also be included in the data point plan.
- Analyze and Evaluate
Evaluate consumption data to identify trends, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities. Consider changes such as new facilities, processes, or responsibilities.
- Derive Measures
Based on the analysis, define and prioritize concrete measures to improve energy efficiency.
Conclusion
Energy assessment is an indispensable component of a dynamic energy management system aligned with ISO 50001. It provides the data foundation for making informed decisions and sustainably improving energy efficiency. The creation of an energy balance is particularly critical, as it forms the starting point for all subsequent activities and measures.