mopdf.com

2 What is energymanagement training?Energy management training is the process of improving the performance and increasingthe awareness of the individuals responsible for energy use in buildings. It is an integralcomponent of any effective energy management strategy – and is a key energymanagement best practice recommended by Natural Resources Canada.2.1 Energy management best practicesResearchers and organizations around the world have described the practice of energymanagement in a number of ways. According to Kennedy and colleagues, it is “thejudicious and effective use of energy to maximize profits (minimize costs) and enhancecompetitive positions.”2 ASHRAE defines it as “an orderly process in which managersuse resources at their disposal to accomplish clear, energy-saving objectives” and furtherpoints out that “sustained energy management is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way toexpand our world’s energy supplies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”3Put simply, energy management is using the least amount of energy possible to providegoods and services without affecting production, quality or comfort.Looking at the buildings sector specifically, typical energy management objectives include: Minimizing energy costs while maximizing the efficiency of building systems. Achieving a more comfortable working environment for building occupants. Minimizing the environmental impact of a building’s energy consumption.Energy management can be applied to any kind of building where energy is used,including new and existing office buildings, community centres, factories, and homes. Itencompasses all the policies and plans that govern how an organization uses energy, thesystems and technologies that use energy in buildings, and the ways building occupantsand operators use these systems. In commercial or institutional settings, everyoneparticipates in energy management – from the building’s owners, managers and operatorsall the way down to its occupants.Energy management best practices can provide the framework needed to turn theconcept of energy management into concrete actions that produce real results.What is an energymanagementbest practice?Energy management bestpractices refer to proven,non-technical techniquesor methodologies relatedto “softer” issues thatdeliver energy savings.These issues includebehavioural change arisingfrom increased awareness,training, accountability andinformation systems.Put simply, energymanagement is using theleast amount of energypossible to provide goodsand services withoutaffecting production,quality or comfort.Energy management best practices include: Commitment: An official energy policy endorsed by senior management sends a clearmessage to the whole organization about the importance of energy management. Planning: Having clear goals – and outlining the steps required to achieve them – willhelp make them a reality. Organization: Energy management should be made an integral part of yourorganization’s operations.2Kennedy, W., Turner, W., & Capehart, B. (2003). Guide to energy management (4th ed.). Lilburn, GA: Fairmont Press.3 ASHRAE.Course description: Professional Development Seminar: Effective Energy Management. Retrieved w-existing-buildings2

Energy Management Training Primer Financing: Including energy management in your organization’s budget, schedulesand other resource-allocation mechanisms ensures it will remain a priority. Tracking: You cannot manage your energy use if you do not track it by using energybenchmarking (see page 12 for more information on energy benchmarking). Projects: Conduct systematic assessments of building operations and maintenance,occupant comfort and behaviour, equipment scheduling, and other areas to watch foropportunities for improvement. Communication: Make sure all building occupants and staff are aware of your goals,understand how they can contribute and are recognized for their contributions. Training: Arm your staff with the knowledge they need to take advantage of the besttechnologies and the latest data.For more information, visit our website at 3556 and read our Energy Management Best Practices Guide forCommercial and Institutional Buildings.2.2 Energy management trainingThe ultimate goal of any training program is to improve the performance of both theindividuals (by increasing their professional skills and preparing them to respond to newchallenges as they emerge) and the organization as a whole.Energy management training is integral to any effective energy management strategy.It seeks to improve the performance of the individuals responsible for energy use inbuildings while also raising their awareness of key energy-related issues.Proper training is a criticalenergy managementbest practice that ensuresany energy savingsachieved are sustainedand the benefits of theorganization’s energymanagement plan aremaximized.Proper training is a critical energy management best practice that ensures any energysavings achieved are sustained and the benefits of the organization’s energy managementplan are maximized.In general, energy management training involves three components: technical training (i.e. building systems) organizational training (i.e. management systems) behavioural training (i.e. people’s actions)Two groups can benefit from this training. The people most likely to participate in thetraining are those responsible for managing energy in an organization. These are facilityand property managers, building operators and maintenance technicians (includingelectricians, steam engineers, and heating, ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] andcontrol technicians). But other people, such as contractors, service providers and energyconsultants, can also benefit. General employees and managers may also take part intraining, although this is less common.SuccessEnergy management training can be carried out in many venues and formats, includingat conferences and industry events, in classroom settings as part of a college/universitydiploma or degree, or through continuing education courses. Workshops can be heldin-house (during lunch-hour information sessions, for example), online, via webinars, orat a centralized location hosted by utility providers, government departments or otherorganizations with an interest in promoting energy efficiency. Equipment manufacturersand service providers will often provide a form of energy management training tooperations staff when installing new equipment in a building. Energy managementtraining can also happen less formally through staff meetings, peer-to-peer training orpublications.3

3 Benefits of energymanagement training3.1 Why training matters to the Canadianbuildings sectorThe Canadian commercial and institutional buildings sector comprises about766 million square metres of floor space4 – and accounts for about 12% of Canada’ssecondary energy consumption (i.e. energy delivered to end users) and 11% of thecountry’s greenhouse gas emissions.5 As the sector continues to grow, the number ofexisting buildings being retrofitted will also increase; in 2012 alone, 17 billion werespent on repairs and construction.6 Natural Resources Canada has found that improvingoperational practices and implementing energy-efficient retrofits can reduce energyconsumption in commercial and institutional buildings by up to 20%.7Natural Resources Canadahas found that improvingoperational practices andimplementing energyefficient retrofits can reduceenergy consumption incommercial and institutionalbuildings by up to 20%.Specifically, energy management training plays a key role in achieving those results by: Enhancing skills and raising awareness. Facilitating energy and cost savings. Promoting employee engagement and a culture of energy efficiency.3.2 Enhancing skills and raising awarenessEven when an organization invests in energy-efficient building systems, cost savings arenot guaranteed. Energy-saving technology does not run itself. To effect energy savingsover time, a trained and skilled workforce is required to ensure that the technologyoperates as intended.8Operations staff need to know more than just how to repair broken equipment orreact to complaints from building occupants. Energy management training providesparticipants with the broad base of knowledge and skills they need to effectivelymanage and monitor the organization’s energy use, identify opportunities to implementadditional energy-saving actions, and select and operate appropriate new energy-efficientequipment and technologies.Because energy management training helps raise the profile of energy managementprograms, participants come out with a much better understanding of the importanceof such programs and the business case for good energy management. Therefore,training helps get staff on board with the program and helps managers implement theorganization’s energy management processes.Energy managementtraining providesparticipants with thebroad base of knowledgeand skills they need toeffectively manage andmonitor the organization’senergy use, identifyopportunities to implementadditional energy-savingactions, and select andoperate appropriate newenergy-efficient equipmentand technologies.4 NaturalResources Canada. (2012). Survey of commercial and institutional energy use: Buildings 2009. Retrieved 9/scieu e.pdf.5 NaturalResources Canada. (2013). Energy efficiency trends in Canada: 1990 to 2010. Retrieved frompublications.gc.ca/collections/collection 2014/rncan-nrcan/M141-1-2010-eng.pdf.6Statistics Canada. (2014). CANSIM (database). Table 029-0005: Capital and repair expenditures by sector and province.7 Gilson,J. (2010). BOMA introduces e-Energy training course. Retrieved y-training-course-826.8Price, S. (2006). “Efficiency through education.” HPAC Engineering, October 2006, 15–17.4

Energy Management Training Primer3.3 Facilitating energy and cost savingsTraining can help organizations manage their bottom line and remain competitive inthe face of rising energy costs. Better building technologies, better heating and coolingcontrols, and better and more efficient lighting all help reduce an organization’s energyconsumption. When staff have the know-how to effectively deliver those energy savings,organizations benefit from even greater utility and maintenance cost reductions.Employee salaries are likely one of your organization’s greatest expenses – but if you viewthem as an investment, the benefits of energy management training are clear. Greateraccess to energy management training programs increases the staff’s ability to savethe organization money, which, in turn, increases the return on investment of salaries.As a result, with properly educated and skilled professionals, an organization is betterpositioned to improve its bottom line.Several studies have demonstrated the potential for energy savings through training: The Impact Attribution for Dollars to ense Workshops study completed by Habartand Associates in 2003 for Natural Resources Canada found that the “total (achieved)energy savings for the commercial, institutional and government sector (from theprogram) is estimated at 666 terajoules per year.”9 Three studies on the U.S. Building Operator Certification Program indicatedthat program participants each saved at least 33,000 kilowatt hours (kWh), orapproximately 120 gigajoules (GJ), per year, with one study indicating individualsavings of more than 130,000 kWh (470 GJ) per year. Most participants andsupervisors reported increased occupant comfort in their buildings as well as energyand cost savings. A large majority (69%) of participants in one study also reportedthey had taken energy-saving actions based directly on what they learned in training.10Case study:Blue Cross CentreThe Blue Cross Centre inFredericton, New Brunswick,used to average about 70,000in electricity costs each month.However, since the operationsmanager and maintenancesupervisor started attendingannual energy managementtraining, the energyconsumption has been reducedby 20%. The training leddirectly to the implementationof energy-saving schedulingchanges and other easy-toachieve opportunities, as well asa major HVAC retrofit that hasaccounted for more than half ofthe savings.Find out more s/4185.3.4 Promoting employee engagement and a cultureof energy efficiencyEnergy management training does more than save organizations money and ensure thattheir facilities operate more efficiently. The benefits to your organization’s culture, whileless tangible than financial benefits, are no less valuable. These include: Making staff feel valued because you invested in their training. Creating a culture where staff can share ideas. Promoting good resource stewardship within the organization. Building the organization’s relationship with the greater community by providing aconcrete example of how the organization is working to reduce its environmentalimpact. Offering staff opportunities to network and share ideas with like-minded individuals.9Habart and Associates Consulting Ltd. (2003). Impact Attribution for Dollars to ense Workshops.10 RLWAnalytics. (2005). Impact and process evaluation: Building Operator Training and Certification (BOC) Program.Retrieved from www.theboc.info/pdf/Eval-BOC NEEP 2005.pdf. Opinion Dynamics Corporation. (2009). Evaluation of Kansas City Power and Light’s Building Operator Certification Program.Retrieved from www.theboc.info/pdf/Eval-KCPL BOC Eval Report 2010.pdf. Navigant Consulting. (2011). Evaluation of MN BOC training. Retrieved Evaluation %20FINAL.pdf.5

Energy Management Training Primer3.5 Other benefitsEnergy management training also offers several additional benefits. For example, it isan opportunity for employees to participate in professional development activities, andit can even contribute to their professional certification requirements. And by reducingthe amount of energy used, organizations see a reduction in the environmental impactof their operations, particularly in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. If an organizationhas committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions – either by law or voluntarily –energy management training can help to identify opportunities to use less energy, therebyreducing the cost of purchasing carbon offsets. Finally, an efficient, well-run building alsoimproves the built environment and results in a more comfortable working environmentfor the building’s occupants.6

4 Barriers to implementingenergy managementtraining4.1 Six key barriers to investing in trainingDespite the obvious benefits of energy management training, it can sometimes be difficultto get a training program off the ground. Six key barriers we have identified are: Securing funding for training. Getting buy-in from senior management and other key personnel. Monitoring and verifying training-related savings. Getting buy-in from staff. Finding the time required for staff to attend and organize training. Finding qualified trainers and courses.4.1.1Securing funding for trainingBudget concerns are often cited as the primary barrier to energy management training,particularly because there are often competing values within an organization. A commonmisconception among senior managers is that energy management costs money ratherthan saves money. As a result, other issues are prioritized over energy managementtraining.The costs associated with having staff attend a workshop, particularly if those staffmembers need to be replaced while they are in training, adds to the misconceptionthat energy management training is a costly investment. Small profit margins and highturnover rates act as disincentives for companies to invest in training, especially if there isuncertainty regarding certain staff members’ long-term future with the organization.Case study:Ontario PowerAuthorityThe Ontario Power Authoritypartnered with NaturalResources Canada to developa series of customized Dollarsto ense workshops toensure its staff could meetthe energy managementplanning requirements set outin Ontario’s 2009 Green EnergyAct. Over the first half of 2012,27 jointly developed, deliveredand funded workshops werepresented. Their success led toan even greater commitmentfrom both parties: by the endof 2015, nearly 150 moreworkshops had been given to2,500 Ontario Power Authorityemployees across the province.ResponseSavings that result from training can offset the investment several times over. If aparticipant learns about a new technology or is motivated to optimize building systems,the energy (and cost) savings can be significant. Successfully implemented energymanagement training can deliver energy savings between 4% and 20%. (For examples,see the case studies listed in Appendix A.)Savings that result fromtraining can offsetthe investment severaltimes over.In addition, external funding and subsidies may be available to help offset the initial costs.Look into Natural Resources Canada’s Dollars to ense workshops (see Chapter 7 formore information), utility providers and other government bodies to see what options areavailable to you.7

Energy Management Training Primer4.1.2Getting buy-in from senior management and otherkey personnelEnergy management training requires buy-in from senior management and key personnel,but if they view training as a cost rather than an investment, it becomes much moredifficult to secure funding or get approval for staff to take time off to attend training. Inevery organization, there are competing demands for money; without buy-in from theright people, it is easy for energy management to slip down the priority hierarchy.The same buy-in is needed at all levels of the organization, including facility managers andmanagers of building occupants. If facility managers are not interested in the training,they will not support their staff attending the training sessions. If these individuals donot see the value in training or have other priorities, it becomes much more difficult toimplement the training.Responseis a win-win“ Trainingsituation for employersand trainees. Once putinto effect, practicestaught in trainingprograms ultimatelysave employers moneyin operating costsand enhance the skilllevels of personnel.” – Stan Price, Principal,Putnam Price Group Inc.There are several reasons to make energy management training a priority and a varietyof ways to link it to existing corporate priorities to make it even more attractive. Forexample: With energy costs constantly on the rise, the energy savings that result from trainingplay an ever greater role in managing an organization’s bottom line. As governments move toward prioritizing environmental sustainability, investingearly in energy management training can help future-proof an organization againstreporting requirements, taxes related to energy consumption, and more stringentbuilding and operating regulations. Investment in training creates a more knowledgeable, aware and skilled staff, whichresults in energy and cost savings for an organization.4.1.3Monitoring and verifying training-related savingsPart of the challenge of gaining support from all levels of management is that themeasurement and verification of energy savings from training is difficult to assess.Compared to the installation of a new boiler or lighting system, it can be challengingto quantify the energy savings resulting from a day-long (or multi-day) training session.Furthermore, training can produce different outcomes, and there is no guarantee that theideas and opportunities originating from traini

participates in energy management - from the building's owners, managers and operators all the way down to its occupants. Energy management best practices can provide the framework needed to turn the concept of energy management into concrete actions that produce real results. Energy management best practices include: Commitment: