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EERE » AMO eGuide » FOUNDATIONAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Step 4.2 Respond to deviations in energy performance

At this point in developing your energy management program, you should have implemented your action plan, and measured results, and you should be continuing to monitor and analyze the data you are collecting. However, if you notice any unexpected deviations in energy performance, you’ll need to investigate and take action to address them during this step.

Once you complete this step, you’ll be ready to move to Step 5 (Review for Continual Improvement).

Advancing from Foundational Level 1 to ISO 50001 Level 2 for Step 4.2

As you learned in Step 4.1, ISO 50001 requires monitoring, measurement and analyses of a variety of energy performance data. An important part of tracking energy performance is identifying when a metric is indicating an uncharacteristic value. This is a deviation from the values that are expected. ISO 50001 wants your organization to define for itself what level of change would be considered significant and warrant investigation. Understanding why a metric is outside expected limits helps your organization identify the factors that can impact its energy performance. It also enables you to take appropriate actions if needed to address the situation.

So, for each of the key characteristics that you monitor, measure and analyze in Step 4.1, you will need to define what constitutes a significant deviation that would then be investigated for potential action. What is considered to be a “significant deviation” may be different for each of the key characteristics. You can document this information in the energy measurement plan that you developed in Step 4.1.

Advance to Next Level

How to do it

There is one associated task you will need to complete:

4.2.1 Check for and make needed mid-course corrections to action plans

During project implementation, the energy team should regularly check progress to ensure the project is proceeding as planned. If corrections are needed in the plan, they should be identified and implemented as soon as possible to minimize waste in resources and to keep the project on track. You should consider the following questions in determining whether corrections are needed:

  • Is the project progressing as planned?
  • Have unforeseen issues arisen that threaten project success?
  • Are EnPIs being tracked and do they reveal any potential problems of significant energy uses?
  • Are the right personnel assigned?
  • Are there any additional resources needed?
  • Is additional expertise needed?
  • Are project expenditures in line with the budget?

Once the issue(s) threatening the project is identified, corrections need to be developed and implemented as quickly as possible to get the project back on track. Each potential correction should be evaluated to determine whether it’s feasible and will realistically get the project back on track within the scope of the organization’s resources and the expected project benefits. Well-planned projects consider where potential problems may arise and have plans for these potential contingencies.

Resources & Examples

  • 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 6 of the ENERGY STAR Guidelines for guidance specific to eGuide Step 4.2.
  • 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 18 of the SEAI Energy MAP for helpful guidance specific to eGuide Step 4.2.