5.8. Post Audit Activities

In practice, there are often barriers that prevent the successful implementation of energy efficiency measures recommended in an energy audit report. Therefore, it is helpful to establish a clear procedure to ensure the successful realization of recommended improvements. An implementation action plan should be described in a simple way with clear goals, saving targets, and definitions of roles and responsibilities for its execution

A detailed action plan helps to ensure a systematic process to implement energy-efficiency measures. The action plan can be updated regularly, most often on an annual basis, to reflect recent achievements, changes in performance, and shifting priorities. While the scope and scale of the action plan is often dependent on the organization, the steps below outline a basic starting point for creating a plan:

1.   Define technical steps and targets

2.   Determine roles and resources

Before finalizing the action plan, it is better to consult with plant managers and key engineers to get their input on the action plan.

5.8.1.   Define technical Steps and targets

The energy audit results can provide an indication of the technical performance of the plant and its gap with the efficient performance. Based on this, opportunities for energy-efficiency improvement can be identified and prioritized.

Three key steps are:

  1. Create performance targets for each industrial process, department, and operation of the organization to track progress towards achieving the goals.
  2. Set timelines for actions, including regular meetings among key personnel to evaluate progress, completion dates, milestones and expected outcomes.
  3. Establish a monitoring system to track and monitor the progress of actions taken. This system should track and measure energy use and project/program activities.

5.8.2.   Determine roles and resources

–      Identify internal roles

The action plan should determine who is involved in the energy-efficiency program and what their responsibilities are. Depending on the organization and action plan, this might include departments such as:

  • Plant and operations management
  • Financial management – capital investments, budget planning
  • Human resources – staffing, training, and performance standards
  • Maintenance
  • Supply management – procurement procedures, energy purchasing and equipment and materials
  • Building and plant design
  • Engineering
  • New product/process development teams
  • Communications Marketing
  • Environmental, Health, and Safety

–      Identify external roles

The action plan should determine the degree to which consultants, service providers, vendors, and other product providers will be used. Some organizations may choose to outsource entire aspects of their action plan while others may only want to contract with specific vendors for limited projects. If contractors will be used, the action plan should determine what standards will be used to evaluate bids and incorporated these metrics into agreements with contractors.

–      Determine resources

For each project or program in the action plan, estimate the cost for each item in terms of both human resources and capital/expense. Then, develop the business case for justifying and

gaining funding approval for action plan projects and resources need.

–      Implement the action plan

To successfully implement the action plan, it is vital to gain support from the personnel within the plant involved in the energy-efficiency improvement programs. To implement the action plan, the following steps should be considered:

  1. Create a communication plan: Develop targeted information for key audiences about the energy efficiency action plan
  2. Raise awareness: Build support for all levels of the organization for energy efficiency initiatives and goals.
  3. Build capacity: Through training, access to information, and transfer of successful practices, and procedures to expand the capacity of the plant staff.
  4. Motivate: Create incentives that encourage staff to improve energy performance to achieve goals.
  5. Track and monitor: Use the tracking system developed as part of the action plan to track and monitor progress regularly.

–      Evaluate progress

Plant managers can evaluate the progress of their activities using energy data and a review of the activities taken as part of the action plan, comparing them to the established goals. This review can be used to revise the action plan and see the lessons learned. Regular evaluation of energy performance and the effectiveness of energy-efficiency initiatives also allows energy managers to:

  • Measure the effectiveness of projects and programs implemented
  • Make informed decisions about future energy projects
  • Reward individuals and teams for accomplishments
  • Document additional savings opportunities as well as non-quantifiable benefits that can be leveraged for future initiatives

It is worth highlighting the fact that a company needs to have an energy management system to be able to fully benefit from the energy audit results and to have sustainable energy efficiency improvement. If it does not have an energy management program, the audit will likely be a one-time event, and the implementation rate of the audit recommendations will be low.