energy savings opportunity scheme

Moving energy management forward

Dr Joanne Wade FEI

Dr Joanne Wade FEI

Energy efficiency is increasingly valued at all scales. ESOS has brought awareness, and possibly action, to large organisations. SMEs are increasingly aware of the benefits, from both a cost perspective and a reputational one of managing energy to achieve greater efficiency. The EI’s recently published Energy Barometer report revealed that energy professionals across sectors (on both the demand and supply side) and disciplines value energy efficiency and management and recognise its potential to transform the way energy is consumed.

Among the top concerns that EI members are grappling with in 2016 is of course the low oil price and its impact on investment and decarbonisation, drawing focus from energy demand and efficiency. Despite this competition from low crude oil and transport prices, commercial and domestic energy efficiency are seen as the only low-risk areas for investment across the energy value chain. Efficiency (in buildings, transport and industrial processes) also tops the list for where energy professionals believe investment should be increased. But energy professionals caution that policy stability is imperative to take advantage of this potential, enable investment, and develop the sector. Recent changes to the Green Deal and the Zero Carbon Homes policies are not the signals that are needed. Energy professionals expected a decision to leave the EU to have a negative effect across most of the energy sector, including on improving energy efficiency, and general market uncertainty following the vote on 23 June is indeed affecting investor confidence. This reinforces the need for a new, robust policy framework to encourage investment.

The EI has long been supporting the development of energy management as a profession, promoting good practice and recognising those at the top of their field. A new publication, released in May, is aimed at those who are new to energy management, of which there will be growing numbers as more organisations embed energy management in their strategy and operations. A guide to energy management gives a high-level introduction to the what, why and how of this practice, and is aimed at those considering a new career or anyone who has been asked to take on energy management alongside an existing role. It can also be a useful tool for consultants pitching to senior management teams, helping to make the case for and explain the basics of managing energy in an organisation.

The guide is part of the Energy Essentials series produced by the EI Knowledge Service – foundation-level documents which help to promote knowledge and understanding and make important topics understandable to non-experts. The documents in this series are reviewed extensively by qualified subject specialists under the guidance of the Energy Advisory Panel, which I chair. The guide to energy management serves an important purpose and I hope it makes this field more accessible and easily understood, particularly in those organisations with limited resources or for individuals with little technical background.

Both the Energy Barometer report and our new guide are examples of the EI’s efforts to promote knowledge, share information, and enable informed discussion about energy. Both are also only made possible by the generosity and expertise of our 23,000 members, who never hesitate to put their views and insights to good use. Thank you to the EI College and to our 60 peer-reviewers for your input, which is improving the quality of the debate and hopefully enabling the changes needed to move the industry forward.

Past, present and future

Ian Marchant

Ian Marchant FEI, President

All good things must come to an end and I am now handing over the Presidency of the Energy Institute (EI) having served two years. It has been a joy and a privilege to have the role and I hope I have been a good steward of our organisation. In reflecting on the two years, my thoughts are about the past, present and future.

We have just finished celebrating our one hundredth anniversary and that included a cake in the Palace of Westminster, a video from the Prince of Wales and numerous dinners and events up and down the country. It is good occasionally to look back and celebrate the achievements of the past, however that phase of EI’s life is over, probably for another 25 years. We have also launched the Energy Matrix, which makes available the accumulated knowledge of over 90,000 records and wisdom of our industry, in a modern digital form.

But enough of the past. We are all members of today’s energy industry and the EI continues to address today’s issues. During the last twelve months or so we have hosted the inaugural Energy Systems conference and our annual IP Week conference, which this year generated a lot of media interest, as well as another 90 events. A new addition to the EI calendar has been the autumn President’s event. In 2013, I hosted a debate and then in 2014 I gave a lecture which, as it was held in a function room at the Hard Rock Cafe, was full of song title puns. We have got involved in new initiatives such as POWERful Women and ESOS, and the first publication under the Energy Essentials banner has been issued. Our technical programme continues to go from strength to strength with the issue of 41 technical guidance documents, the publication of the first G9 offshore wind annual incident data report and further growth in the content of and access to The Journal of the Energy Institute. We have continued to drive up standards and build competencies for the future with the accreditation of 68 energy-related courses in 21 institutions throughout the world.

And talking of the future, as I hand over the reins to the very capable hands of Professor Jim Skea CBE FRSA FEI, I would highlight three foundation stones that have been laid recently. Firstly, we have started the refurbishment of our building to make it fit for the 21st century and to provide better member services. Secondly we have undertaken and launched our first Energy Barometer, which uses the knowledge and experience of our membership to gauge the state of the energy world and to inform policymakers and commentators. Thirdly, we introduced a new EI award category, the Young Energy Professional of the Year, to complement the work of our growing Young Professional Networks.

I believe that the group who met under the leadership of Sir Boverton Redwood a hundred years ago would be proud of what their creation continues to do and in its plans for the future.

Setting standards

Louise Kingham OBE FEI

Louise Kingham OBE FEI

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting people from around the world, brought together by the fact that we were all part of the energy industry, and in this case, focused on sharing knowledge in the oil and gas sector at the 21st World Petroleum Congress in Moscow. A common worry during the event was the bottleneck that the industry is facing across the board – albeit to different degrees in different geographies – to attract, develop and retain a talented, diverse and competent workforce, in a range of key roles where we know gaps exist, from technicians to the next industry leaders. This was confirmed at the session I chaired later in the week on that very theme.

Back in the UK, the topic of standards and accessing the competence to attain them reigns strong. Why? Well, this week, the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme is launched – to help the UK to meet Article 8 of the EU’s Energy Services Directive. This means large companies will need to regularly audit their energy performance – using competent people to do so. As the industry’s professional body, the EI has been advising the UK Government about what competent in this context means – reflected in the membership of the EI’s Register of Professional Energy Consultants and so we are ready to support the scheme. Ultimately, competence is essential for the industry to operate to the highest standard, whether in drilling oil wells or identifying opportunities for energy saving. But there’s another reason why we should worry. If the energy industry is to gain public trust, demonstrating the competence of its practitioners will go a long way to help.