Energy-intensive industries reviewing their business model to improve their financial position might find an unlikely ally in the Facilities Department. While many tend to focus on product innovation to grow their business and stay profitable, studies have shown that implementing energy saving measures in industrial facilities could cut hefty utilities bill and raised profits. This heartening development was not lost on policymakers who saw energy efficiency as one key strategy to mitigate climate change as industries were seen to be major emitters of green house gases (GHGs), contributing to climate change. Armed with success stories of industries making big strides in energy savings, governments in many part of the world begun unleashing several outreach initiatives, aimed at rallying the industries to improve their energy performance. Singapore was no exception.

Founded by the NEA, EMA & EDB, the ‘Energy Efficiency National Partnership’ (EENP), is the latest initiative of the Energy Efficient Programme Office (E2PO), a voluntary, industry-based programme, designed to help companies put in place energy productivity improvement projects at the organisational level to reduce energy wastage. The EENP also administers a Learning Network which provides industries with opportunities to learn and share energy efficient technologies and best practices through learning platforms such as forums, seminars & workshops.

On 30 Apr 10, SEI was pleased to stage the first seminar of the Learning Network titled ‘Improving Industrial Energy Efficiency’ featuring Ms Aimee McKane, our U.S guest speaker in industrial energy management, to an eager industry audience. Ms McKane is a staff scientist & a senior programme manager from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Industrial Partnerships Programme. She has more than 25 years of experience in industrial energy efficiency behind her, and had worked extensively with the U.S. government, International Standards Organisation (ISO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and coached major industries in managing efficiency performance.

Sharing key pointers from her international energy consulting experience to more than 170 industry participants from major energy consumers and MNCs, Ms McKane regaled the audience with several examples of actual industrial energy savings from her globe-trotting assignments, providing technical assistance on energy retrofit projects in Southeast Asia, China, Russia & in the U.S. In her opening lecture, she revealed that the lack of understanding of systems and their impact on a factory’s profitability were the real reasons why more improvements projects were not initiated. She recommended companies to take a systems management approach in addressing energy wasting practices and identifying energy savings opportunities. On systems efficiency, Ms McKane opined that facility managers could first work on minimising leaks in the compressed air system as that was responsible for up to 25-30% in total energy loss. In examining the industrial energy policies in the U.S that encouraged industries to embark on energy efficiency efforts, she highlighted that the government played an important role to nurture a supportive climate for industries to commit to energy efficiency. Wrapping up the morning’s session, she reiterated the importance for companies to take a long-term view towards energy management, putting in place an energy management system to manage and sustain their energy improvement efforts.

Drawing many questions from the audience during the Q & A session, Ms McKane impressed the audience not only with her technical expertise on energy management, but her ability to get at the heart of issues occurring in ground operations. Ms McKane pointed out that many companies failed to sustain their energy management effort due to the absence of a proper energy management system. More often than not, companies fully dependent on energy managers to meet energy targets would find their efforts disrupted, when these managers depart for greener pastures. Expressing SEI’s appreciation to Ms McKane for an informative & insightful session, Mr Ong Eng Kian, Director, Singapore Environment Institute (SEI), presented her a token of appreciation.

As the seminar drew to an end, our industry participants were set to begin a purposeful journey to become more effective in their energy management role. Emerging from the seminar with newfound knowledge, renewed vision and deeper confidence, the morning session had been a fruitful one to melt away nagging doubts in taking on the energy challenge. With compelling energy savings examples clearly illustrated by our guest speaker, ambitious energy reduction targets dreamt of by industry practitioners & aided by technology advancements, might just be within reach.
We wish our industries every success in waging war against energy wastage!

Last updated on 1 Jun 10