Retrotec USACE - Manual (Page 39)

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3
Energy Assessment as a Means
of Ongoing/Continuous Improvement
The fi nal goal of energy management is to develop energy assessment as a
process of continuous improvement rather than as a series of individual audit
actions. To succeed in this kind of development, the PDCA circle (Plan-Do-
Check-Act) must be followed. To at least maintain the current level, you must
regularly check to ensure that everything is still functioning optimally and make
any necessary modifi cations. But you will also need to assess new possibilities
for improving your energy effi ciency. Then you pass through the circle again.
But now the premise is the new measure that has been added to the action
plan. The principle of this kind of continuous development is briefl y described
below (more information is available at www.bess-project.info).
If you have an energy management system you map the
energy flows at a certain point in time, identify the
relevant energy aspects and subsequently take action.
The analysis of the energy consumption must be
performed regularly to keep insight up to date and to
make new measures possible when changes occured.
Even if the measures work, you continue to pass
through the circle. In order to at least maintain the
current level, you must regularly check to ensure that
everything is still functioning optimally and make any
necessary modifications.
Continual
improvement
Check
Act
Plan
Do
3.1 Goals of an Energy Assessment Scheme
This chapter describes what energy assessments are, why they are useful, who
will benefi t, and how the results can be used in the energy and facility manage-
ment process.
This chapter also discusses the general goal of using energy assessments as
a tool to improve energy effi ciency and cut costs. The management of the as-
sessment scheme is described, including budgeting, scheduling, reporting, and
monitoring of results.
3.2 Defi nitions
In Europe, energy assessments are generally called energy audits, and there
is a tradition of successful audit programs in many countries. Different types