Right approach and suitable tools
Energy management is definitely worthwhile, provided the right approach is chosen and suitable tools are used.
- In the case of public buildings, a number of experiences shows a savings potential of 5 to 30%.
- The consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Aktiengesellschaft Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (pwc) surveyed a total of 165 manufacturing companies in 2012 as part of a study on the effectiveness of energy management. All companies surveyed in the previous year had increased energy management efforts - and thereby achieved an average increase in energy efficiency of 7.03% compared to the previous year.
- In many cases, energy management also helps to fulfill legal obligations or to save on taxes and duties.
You do not need to meet a standard to live the rationale of "saving energy through regular consumption control and appropriate action". However, DIN EN ISO 50001 must be met if you want to anchor energy management sustainably in the company and/or prove the effectiveness of energy management in-house or to third parties.
European companies that do not have SME status (e.g. those with more than 250 employees) have to carry out energy audits every 4 years according to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (or the derived national law, such as EDL-G in Germany). A DIN EN ISO 50001 certified energy management system is exempt from this obligation.
Companies that want to benefit from reductions in the German electricity or energy tax (the so-called "peak compensation") or from the special compensation scheme for the German EEG (Renewable Energies Act) surcharge must operate at least a so-called. "alternative system for improving energy efficiency for small and medium-sized enterprises" according to SpaEfV. Above certain sizes, a DIN EN ISO 50001 certified energy management system is required.
Energy costs very often have to be allocated according to causal factors. In this case, synergies may be used, and energy management can save effort.
Read more about the Modules of an energy management system.
