“We’re aware of the upcoming EU and UK legislation around energy audits and wanted to assess our ability to provide a service to comply with the upcoming government scheme. BS EN 16247-1 provided a clear but fl exible set of criteria to use as a framework.”

Scott BordersCompany EngineerSaint-Gobain Group

Benefits from using the standard

• Immediate energy savings

• Future energy savings from new equipment and better process management

• Embedded staff awareness of energy management

• Raised awareness of energy-related legislation as an important issue for the leadership team

Using BS EN 16247-1 to jump-start energy saving initiatives and put energy awareness on the agenda

BSI Case Study Saint-Gobain Group and Saint-Gobain Abrasives BS EN 16247-1 Energy audits. General requirements

Why use BS EN 16247-1?

Saint-Gobain Group is a world leader in the global habitat, construction and industrial markets. The company designs, manufactures and distributes advanced building and high performance materials. Products range from self-cleaning windows and photovoltaic glass, to smart insulation systems, water supply systems and solar solutions. In particular, Saint-Gobain supplies innovative solutions to meet the growing demand for energy efficiency and environmental protection in emerging economies. Saint-Gobain was founded in 1665, and today has 190,000 employees in 64 countries.

Part of the Saint-Gobain Group, Saint-Gobain Abrasives is the world’s leading abrasives manufacturer. In 2013 an environmental compliance audit prompted Saint-Gobain Abrasives to look further into energy use at one of its UK sites where 40 staff are based. Realizing that improved energy management could yield cost savings, the company opted to begin its engagement with energy management on this site by conducting an energy audit using BS EN 16247-1. The company is also aware of the upcoming EU and UK legislation around energy audits [see back page: The EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive] and wanted to assess its ability to provide a service that complies with the upcoming government scheme.

Conducting the energy audit

Saint-Gobain Abrasives’ energy audit was done by Saint-Gobain Company Engineer, Scott Borders who is experienced in carrying out energy audits. He was familiar with the processes and technologies Saint-Gobain uses, but new to the actual site being audited. His role was to help identify improved ways of working.

The standard recommends that one of the first steps is to set the scope, boundaries and degree of thoroughness of the audit. In this respect, Borders recognized that because Saint-Gobain Abrasive’s chosen site was starting from scratch, this first audit should be at a high level. Too much detail at this point wouldn’t necessarily be useful.

“BS EN 16247-1 provides a clear yet flexible set of criteria to use as a framework.”

His next task was to use the standard’s framework to help organize the audit. An important component of this was the preparation of pre-audit information by the auditee. Another early, and in Borders’ view very necessary task, was the coaching he gave to his internal client to increase people’s understanding of the value of the audit and energy management, explaining for example what the non-financial elements of the bill meant.

Borders reported that thereafter the easiest part of using the standard was the audit itself. He found that BS EN 16247-1 provides a clear yet flexible set of criteria to use as a framework.

BSI Case Study Saint-Gobain Group and Saint-Gobain Abrasives BS EN 16247-1 Energy audits. General requirements

About BS EN 16247-1 BS EN 16247-1 is a European standard that sets out the best way to conduct an effective energy audit. Energy audits are an important tool for any organization that wants to understand its current energy use and reduce consumption. Audits can also help organizations meet increasing energy and environmental obligations.

The standard was written with input from recognized energy experts. It defines the attributes of a good quality energy audit, from clarifying the best approach in terms of scope, aims and thoroughness, to ensuring clarity and transparency.

Of course for many years there’s been a range of interpretations of how energy audits can best be done. What BS EN 16247-1 supplies is a consistent and reliable approach, so that recommendations can be implemented with total confidence.

BS EN 16247-1 is appropriate for all organizations regardless of size or industry sector. It provides a management tool for energy, sustainability and environmental managers, as well as for auditors, consultants and senior managers interested in targeting energy efficiency, both for commercial and environmental benefits. It also complements the internationally recognized energy management system standard, ISO 50001, and can be used to undertake a comprehensive energy review.

BSI Case Study Saint-Gobain Group and Saint-Gobain Abrasives BS EN 16247-1 Energy audits. General requirements

How using the standard made a difference

BS EN 16247-1 is not about energy efficiency per se, but about identifying energy usage and acting on the information gained. Borders recognized that its recommendations don’t just tackle how to save energy, but also include how to be smarter about how energy is used – for example he could identify opportunities for using the same amount of energy, but improving the efficiency of machinery. The standard made a difference by setting out a comprehensive methodology to alert Saint-Gobain Abrasives to all the potential areas for improvement.

The standard also provided a roadmap for the audit itself. Borders noted that the requirement for data to be collected prior to the start of the audit, and the requirement for a final meeting, were both particularly useful. “I would emphasize the importance of how the audit is organized, including the preparation of pre-audit information by the client,” said Borders. Likewise, the final meeting made sure that the audit was closed satisfactorily both from the auditor’s and the auditee’s perspective. Borders found it to be particularly helpful in bringing closure to the proceedings.

“I would emphasize the importance of how the audit is organized.”

Borders also felt that using BS EN 16247-1, an organization can achieve similar results to those that can be obtained by using an external auditor, but only if the internal auditor is suitably qualified. “The standard provides the framework,” he said, “but you have to be an energy expert to undertake an energy audit successfully.” Saint-Gobain, he felt, got the ‘best of both worlds’ as Borders both understood energy auditing and the technologies the company was using; and additionally brought the benefits of ‘a fresh pair of eyes’ to the site. Borders also noted that it’s important that organizations commit sufficient time and resources to the audit to produce a timely and useful audit and report.

Benefits from using BS EN 16247-1

BS EN 16247-1 brought energy use to the attention of the site’s management team where it had not previously been considered. As well, Saint-Gobain found some obvious and early energy savings from updating and improving lighting at the audited site.

The biggest short term saving however came from better management of ‘baseload’ – the energy used during non-operational hours. The audit identified the need to map out changes in use from week to week and to relate this to the company’s shut-down regime. If over a weekend consumption is especially high then questions should be asked, and the company should be aware that electricity costs more at certain times of day, so it would be advisable to avoid, for instance,

running trials at peak rate-times. At the time of the audit, the site did not have half-hourly usage data and so wasn’t aware of consumption during key parts of the day. The company will now consider installing meters as a longer term energy efficiency tool to address this.

“BS EN 16247-1 brought energy use to the attention of the site’s management team where it had not previously been considered.”

The audit also highlighted that energy savings could be made both through process changes and through using more energy-efficient equipment – so through making different procurement decisions. For instance, the site uses ventilation systems, with newer systems being more energy efficient than older ones. Borders identified that energy ought in future to be factored into the management’s decision-making process for the next ventilation system purchase.

Finally, the audit also served a useful purpose in making the site’s management team more aware of legal and other requirements, such as changes to costs related to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

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BSI Case Study Saint-Gobain Group and Saint-Gobain Abrasives BS EN 16247-1 Energy audits. General requirements

This case study was enabled by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting innovation in the UK.

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The EU’s Energy Efficiency DirectiveThe EU is not currently on track to meet its target of reducing energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2020. As a result it introduced an Energy Efficiency Directive in 2012, the provisions of which are mostly to be implemented by June 2014. The Directive imposes a duty on energy utilities to encourage end-users to cut their energy consumption through efficiency improvements. It also requires large companies (firms with 250 employees or more) to do an energy audit every four years.

About BSI StandardsBSI is the UK’s National Standards Body and represents UK economic and social interests across all European and international standards organizations and in the development of business information solutions for British organizations of all sizes and sectors. BSI is responsible for originating many of the world’s most popular management systems standards and publishes over 2,500 standards annually. These standards address the most pressing issues of today from clear billing to energy management and disability access to nanotechnology; spanning sectors including aerospace, construction, energy, engineering, finance, healthcare, IT and retail. BSI’s standards are underpinned by a collaborative and rigorous approach, working with industry experts, government bodies, trade associations, businesses of all sizes and consumers to develop the standards for excellence.

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About BSIBSI (British Standards Institution) is the business standards company that equips businesses with the necessary solutions to turn standards of best practice into habits of excellence. Formed in 1901, BSI was the world’s first National Standards Body and a founding member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Over a century later it continues to facilitate business improvement across the globe by helping its clients drive performance, manage risk and grow sustainably through the adoption of international management systems standards, many of which BSI originated. Renowned for its marks of excellence including the consumer recognized BSI Kitemark™, BSI’s influence spans multiple sectors including aerospace, construction, energy, engineering, finance, healthcare, IT and retail. With over 73,000 clients in 150 countries, BSI is an organization whose standards inspire excellence across the globe.