Avoid unexpected excess consumption
Every organisation is prone to unexpected accidental excess
energy and water consumption. The causes are by definition
impossible to catalogue, but here are some examples:
- Heat dumped through idle boilers on a range
- Fans, compressors, hydraulics and other auxiliaries
running when main machinery is idle
- Electric de-icing elements running continuously in
steps or access ramps
- Heating and air-conditioning running simultaneously
- Ventilation heat recovery unit failed
- Tramps in public toilets inadvertently triggering
automatic urinal flushes
Specialist techniques for monitoring
performance are used to detect and diagnose exceptions
of this sort, but usually rely on there being some change
in system behaviour during the period of monitoring. For
long-term underlying waste,
staff suggestion schemes can be
used to reveal problems if efforts are made to improve
awareness and motivation. This
in turn can be neatly integrated with
training programmes.
Elements of the utility management process
Top-level objectives