What is the difference between an ‘energy survey’, an ‘energy audit’ and an ‘energy review’? Is there, in fact, any difference and if so, what? Well, a new European standard may help to clear up the confusion. Due for formal release at the end of next year, the text of EN 16001 Energy Management Systems has been agreed by the members of the drafting committee and is now being translated.

As its numbering suggests, it follows the same format as ISO EN 9001 Quality Systems and ISO EN 14001 Environmental Management Systems and this explains some of the idiosyncrasies – at least to British minds – of some of the terminology. An ‘energy management system’ generally means to a UK audience a piece of technology including metering, computers and energy management software. In the terms of the new standard, ‘system’ means ‘a systematic approach’, as is the case with 9001 and 14001. And just like them, it focuses on the framework, the process of energy management, not the end result of how much energy is actually saved. Although, in theory, if the right systems are in place then savings should follow.

In fact, this close adherence to ISO EN 14001 has meant that, although English is the original language for the new standard, the meanings sometimes seem rather counter-intuitive (BSI was asked to prepare it and Vilnis Vesma of energy consultant Nifes actually wrote most of it). To comply with EN 16001 you need to catalogue your ‘energy aspects’. In 14001 this was ‘environmental aspects’ and in this context some sense can be made of it: energy aspects are the major elements of an organisation’s activities that offer scope for improving efficiency and reducing wastage.

However, Vilnis Vesma believes that in one very important respect, the standard is more useful than its ‘parent’ ISO EN 14001. “You will have to record, at pre-defined intervals, both energy consumption and its associated drivers – called ‘energy factors’ in the standard,” he explains. “And having determined the relationship between them, the energy factor data is then used to calculate expected consumption for comparison with actual usage. These processes constitute monitoring and targeting (although we were not allowed to call it that in the standard) and are designed to enable the organisation to spot abnormal consumption should it unexpectedly occur because of technical faults or human error. Such hidden avoidable waste can be a fruitful source of savings.”

So, monitoring and targeting (M&T) will be an essential part of any programme accredited to EN 16001.

There is another important reason for this standard appearing now. The USA is developing its own standard with the aim of it forming the basis for an ISO (i.e. global) standard on this topic. By being the first to launch, the European view will be a major influence on the final international standard.