Step 1.3 Secure top management commitment
One of the keys to implementing a robust energy management program is the sustained involvement and commitment of top management. Not only does top management approve and authorize the development of an energy management program, but they also need to be involved in communicating regularly about the energy improvement successes and the management system, something that will lead to greater buy-in from other staff. Top management must be part of regular reviews of the progress.
Once your top management is on board, you’ll need to make sure they have given you the responsibility as well as the authority and associated resources necessary to successfully develop your organization’s energy management program.
Advancing from Foundational Level 1 to ISO 50001 Level 2 for Step 1.3
In transitioning from foundational energy management (Level 1) to the Level 2 ISO 50001 energy management system (EnMS), management’s commitment changes from being kept involved by the management representative to taking EnMS leadership. This includes establishing energy management and energy performance improvement as organizational priorities and incorporating consideration of energy performance in long term planning. To understand the full set of top management commitments and responsibilities in an ISO 50001 EnMS, review the following Level 2 steps (in addition to Level 2/Step 1.3):
- Step 1.6 Identify the EnMS scope and boundaries
- Step 1.7 Define the energy policy
- Step 1.8 Create organizational awareness
- Step 1.9 Ensure ongoing management responsibility
Advance to Next Level
How to do it
There is one associated task you will need to complete:
1.3.1 Secure top management commitment
It’s important to involve top management in the communication and continued review and approval of your energy management program. Simple steps such as adding energy performance status updates to meeting agendas and having email updates on energy performance come from top management will help keep them involved. These steps will also build organizational awareness of your energy management program, something that should be on-going, as opposed to a one-time activity.
It may also be helpful for you to prepare and send them an email message that includes:
- Clear language indicating their commitment to developing an energy management program
- Expectations for allocated personnel and resources to energy management
- Expectations for allocated time for energy management planning and activities
- Expected involvement of top management going forward
Both during and after securing this commitment, keep in mind the following challenges that you may encounter:
Top management authorized the effort, but is now hands-off - Authorization and providing resources is an important accomplishment. However, you want top management to have a continued role in the energy management program. Because of top management’s many competing priorities, you need to be sure top management is clear on what their continued role should be.
Changing top management - Top management can change during the time you are implementing your energy management program. When a change happens, take the time to present the current status of the effort and specifically ask for continued commitment of the effort.
Nobody has enough time to help - Time is one of the biggest barriers to success. Having realistic expectations about the level of effort and specific tasks identified will help supervisors and managers make staff time available. These expectations should be made clear to top management.
Resources & Examples
- ENERGY STAR Emerging Themes in Energy Management: Describes some unique insights into best practices and emerging trends in energy management.
- DOE Better Buildings Challenge Implementation Models: Click on the “How can I motivate my organization” link to reveal several case studies showing the benefits of energy management.
- ENERGY STAR Success Stories in Industrial Energy Management: Describes several success stories in industrial energy management.
- Make the Business Case: Guidance from the EPA ENERGY STAR program on making the business case to top management
- Energy Management Case Study- Kohl’s: This case study describes how Kohl’s Department Stores reduced annual energy consumption by at least 30% by focusing on upgrades to building lighting and conditioning of ventilation air.
- Energy Management Case Study- Prologis: This case study describes how a Prologis warehouse reduced its annual energy consumption by at least 30% by focusing on upgrades to building lighting.
- EPA ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management: Contains a step-by-step road map for continuous improvement, based on best practices as compiled by the EPA ENERGY STAR Program. Refer to Step 1.3 and Appendix 2 of the ENERGY STAR Guidelines for guidance specific to eGuide Step 1.3.
- Commercial Buildings Resource Database: Contains resources to support the adoption of energy-saving building technologies
- DOE Industrial Assessment Center Industrial Facility Case Studies: Shows a variety of case studies showing the benefits of energy management in small and medium sized industrial facilities.
- Energy Management Case Study- HARBEC: This case study describes the process and business value of implementing an energy management system at a small specialty plastics manufacturing facility in upstate New York.
- Energy Management Case Study- Nissan: This case study describes the process and business value of implementing an energy management system at a vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
- Energy Management Case Study- General Dynamics: This case study describes the process and business value of implementing an energy management system at a federal ammunition plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Also read the DOE success story (February 2014).
- Energy Management Case Study- Freescale Semiconductor Inc.: This case study describes how Freescale Semiconductor implemented projects at its Oak Hill Fab plant in Austin, Texas, that reduced annual plant-wide energy consumption by 28 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and 26,000 million British thermal units (Btu) of natural gas between 2006 and 2009, saving more than $2 million each year.
- Energy Management Case Study- CCP Composites US LLC: The case study highlights a Cook Composites and Polymers Co. (CCP) plant in Houston, Texas, as one of the first participants in the Superior Energy Performance (SEP) plant certification program.
- Energy Management Case Study- IBM: This case study highlights how IBM established and leveraged an energy team to implement an energy management system at a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Canada.
- Energy Management Case Study- Lincoln Electric: This case study shows how Lincoln Electric relied on a cross-divisional energy team to implement an energy management system in conformance with ISO 50001.
- Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) Continuous Energy Improvement (CEI) for Industry Tool: NEEA’s CEI system provides a methodology and tools that support achieving energy management goals and objectives through progressive steps. Refer to Step 2.1 of the NEEA Tool for guidance specific to eGuide Step 1.3.
- Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Energy MAP: SEAI’s Energy MAP tool provides a step-by-step guide to creating a best practice action plan for energy management. Refer to Step 1 of the SEAI Energy MAP for helpful guidance specific to eGuide Step 1.3.
