Step 4.1 Measure, monitor and analyze performance metrics
Now that you’ve implemented your action plan(s), it’s time to measure and check your results, examining how well you’re doing compared to the initial action plan(s) you prepared in Step 2.11 and implemented in Step 3.2. Ongoing measurement, monitoring, and analysis of the performance metrics you established in Step 2.7 is critical to effectively managing your organization’s energy performance and in helping to make sure energy performance objectives and targets are being met.
To accomplish this step, you’ll need to measure, monitor, and analyze the results of your action plan(s) to ensure they are having the desired impact of improving your organization’s energy performance. If your actions aren’t achieving the expected results, you’ll need to initiate appropriate corrections (detailed in Step 4.2). The information you gather in this step can also be used to create new action plan(s), identify best practices, and set new performance goals.
Advancing from Foundational Level 1 to ISO 50001 Level 2 for Step 4.1
As a Level 1 user, you have a good start on monitoring, measuring and analyzing your energy management program processes. You have instituted ongoing consumption measurement and analysis for all energy sources and periodically review action plan results and effectiveness. This means you have completed the first three tasks required for implementation of the monitoring, measurement and analysis requirements of an ISO 50001 energy management system (EnMS).
Transitioning your monitoring, measurement and analysis processes to meet ISO 50001 requirements involves expanding your ongoing monitoring, measurement and analysis activities to include additional items and defining these activities in an energy measurement plan. In short, you will need to monitor, measure and analyze more metrics. These include the significant energy uses (SEUs) and their relevant variables, energy performance improvement opportunities, energy performance indicators (EnPIs), and actual vs. expected consumption for both action plans and the SEUs.
Energy consumption needs to be regularly monitored to determine the results of action plan implementation. To do this well, data needs to be collected both prior to action plan implementation and after action plan implementation. In addition, the monitoring system should be centralized and available for the entire energy team to use in the evaluation progress.
To avoid variability as much as possible, the data collected should be representative of normal operating conditions. Because of that variability, it’s not uncommon that energy savings may not be initially apparent or may be much greater than expected. This can be due to other factors that affect energy performance such as hours of operation or occupancy, weather conditions, or production rate (for a manufacturing facility). It’s important to understand this variability and its effect on energy consumption so that an accurate analysis of energy performance can be completed. Well-done monitoring and analysis can also help to identify additional energy performance improvement opportunities.
As additional action plans are implemented and energy savings start to accumulate, your organization’s energy performance improvement should become more apparent. You should continue to monitor energy performance after action plan implementation because data analysis could reveal deviations from performance and give an early warning of potential developing problems in the equipment, systems, or processes associated with energy consumption. For example, an increase in electricity consumption could indicate lights are being left on or equipment is starting to fail.
Once an action plan is implemented, the milestones developed in the plan need to be regularly monitored to ensure the project is progressing as expected. Typically the energy team will review action plan progress monthly or quarterly during regular meetings. Milestone dates, percent completion, levels of performance, interim savings, resource requirements and funding are examples of information that may be part of the discussion. It is critical that projects and action plans are managed well. Poorly managed projects can quickly waste resources and lose sight of the intended objectives. Once action plans are completed, resources should be allocated to address the next energy performance improvement opportunity.
The data collected to monitor the progress must be sufficient to allow for an effective evaluation of the project. Adequate data collection and monitoring can be achieved through a number of ways. Most often, you will need to use portable measuring equipment, install equipment submetering, or make appropriate energy calculations. Data collection requirements are specifically defined and used as prescribed by the action plan that was prepared in Step 2.11. And some projects may have multiple milestones or activities, some of which are contingent on the progress of others. These activities should be monitored and appropriate information should be communicated to relevant personnel to determine the impact on the overall project.
Typical questions to consider for monitoring progress include the following:
Are resources being expended as planned?
Is data collection adequate to determine progress?
Is data being collected complete? Is it collected at the appropriate time?
Are some tasks/activities hindering the progress of others?
Are resources for completed projects reallocated to the next project?
4.1.3 Check action plan effectiveness
Once any project is completed, it’s time to evaluate the final results. The action plan defines the expectations or estimated savings for the project and this is compared to the actual results. The action plan also defines the method of validating the results—this could be a calculation or some type of measurement. If the results meet expectations or are acceptable, the project may be removed from your list of “active” projects.
It’s possible that the project is proceeding very well with milestones being met and activities accomplished, but the expected results are still not being achieved. In these cases, a decision will need to be made relative to the project success and whether another project needs to be initiated to achieve the desired results. If the desired results are still not being achieved, you may need to review the accuracy of the original savings estimate, or analyze the final results for insights on what worked or didn’t work. Results from this analysis can be used as inputs to planning future projects.
DOE Energy Footprint Tool: This tool helps you organize your organization’s energy-related data. The Energy Footprint Tool allows you to enter data on a monthly basis for up to 10 years for a variety of variables.
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 5.5 and Step 6 of the ENERGY STAR Guidelines for guidance specific to eGuide Step 4.1.
Energy Management Package for Small Commercial Buildings: Best practices guide and energy management package for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) contractors to deliver energy management services to small commercial buildings. Refer to Element E5 of the Package for guidance specific to eGuide Step 4.1.
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 17 of the SEAI Energy MAP for helpful guidance specific to eGuide Step 4.1.
