Unfortunately, many of the skills also left companies as trained people took other jobs and gradually retired.
Times have changed again, and we are seeing the re-emergence of the role of the energy manager because of higher energy prices, advent of the carbon price, major incentives for energy savings projects and increasing corporate/customer focus on sustainability. Sometimes this role is integrated into jobs like ‘sustainability manager’, ‘environmental manager’, or broader plant efficiency improvement roles. Either way, we now need the infrastructure to support this important profession.
The Australian Alliance to Save Energy, supported by Energetics, is currently working to set up an informal Energy Managers Network (EMNA) which will support the role of the professional energy manager. It is proposed that EMNA will not be a lobbying organisation, but instead link with other organisations (e.g. Energy Efficiency Council, Clean Energy Council, Energy Users Association of Australia) for lobbying activities as there is benefit in a consolidated voice from the energy efficiency industry. Some of the roles the EMNA may pursue include:
- Training and professional development, including member only courses.
- Formal accreditation for site and corporate energy managers (in alliance with government organisations).
- Information dissemination and exchange on best energy productivity practices and technologies globally
- News relevant to both site and corporate energy managers in newsletter/on-line information.
- Linkages with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and other international energy manager organisations (including Energy Management Association of New Zealand), as well as EUAA, EEC and other relevant local organisations
- Provide peer support, exchange of case studies of success, benchmarking and networking.
- Run energy issue specific focus groups for example, energy metering, continuous improvement programs, ISO 50001, Energy Efficiency Opportunity (EEO) and specific technologies.
- Arrange events, including workshops and forums to bring members together to learn and develop new approaches and technologies.
We already have established an affiliation agreement with the Association of Energy Engineers, USA to be accepted as a Chapter and have access to all AEE services. AEE is:
- The leading global organisation for energy engineering and energy management. AEE has a membership base of over 15,000 professionals in 84 countries and is known for its widely recognised energy certification programs. Its network of 72 local chapters, located throughout the US and abroad, meet regularly to discuss issues of regional importance.
- The accrediting organisation for professional energy managers through its Certified Energy Manager (CEM) training and accreditation program.
In Australia you can participate in the internationally-recognised CEM training course with the next course to be held in Sydney in August.
Click here for more information.
Our hope is that the advent of a large cadre of professional energy managers will enable many companies to achieve 50% or greater improvements in energy productivity (energy use per unit of output) in their organisations.
This article courtesy of BEN-Global
