Tari Emerson, division energy manager of steelmaker Charter Steel, Saukville, Wis., also had an energy-management problem but in a very different type of operation than grocery distribution. Fortunately, the 50001 Ready framework is applicable to just about any type of organization.
When Emerson was hired in 2015, she was tasked to develop an energy-management program. First, she linked up Charter Steel with the DOE’s Better Plants program, a community of nearly 200 companies setting long-term strategic energy-reduction goals, and worked with a Better Plants technical account manager to establish a regression-based energy baseline and an energy-management plan. Under Better Plants’ guidance, Charter Steel started conducting energy “treasure hunts” across its three facilities in Wisconsin and Ohio in 2016, which laid the foundation for a culture of energy management to take shape. However, the path forward remained uncertain. Building on the organization’s prior experience with ISO 9001 and 14001, putting an energy-management system in place using the ISO 50001 structure was a logical next step.
“A key to our success is the great relationships among our energy team members and strong support from upper management,” Emerson notes. “The Navigator tool was really easy to use, and we had lots of support from the DOE Better Plants program team, as well.”
Charter Steel is planning on certifying its three facilities to ISO 50001 between now and 2019. Its Saukville plant achieved the 50001 Ready recognition in August 2017 as an additional motivator and to establish a repeatable methodology for the other facilities in preparation for the certification process. The Saukville facility has calculated its energy performance with 2016 as its baseline year, and Charter Steel expects the energy-management systems it develops at its plants to drive savings that will help it meet its corporate-wide Better Plants goal as quickly and cost effectively as possible. Overall, Better Plants partners have seen their energy intensity improve at a rate of 3 percent annually.
“There is a big step between reading the ISO 50001 standard and being able to implement it,” Emerson adds. “The 50001 Ready Navigator does a great job of translating the standard into actionable items.”
Charter Steel was the first industrial facility to receive the 50001 Ready recognition, but the DOE has a long track record with industrial buildings that have achieved the more strenuous SEP certification—for which ISO 50001 is required. DOE-measured results of dozens of those facilities demonstrate they can attain as much as 30 percent improvement in energy performance over three years, typically with short payback periods because of identifying and implementing many no- and low-cost changes. The long-term energy and cost savings produced through such a holistic energy framework are greater and more consistent than those associated with project-by-project energy improvements.
The broader result from using 50001 Ready is having a comprehensive, standardized, systematic way to achieve energy savings and keep saving into the future. The benefits go beyond solely energy and cost savings, however. Investing in this comprehensive energy-management strategy promotes energy efficiency throughout the entire organization. It leads to increased employee awareness, stewardship, and a stronger understanding of energy use and consumption. Organizations are better able to identify and integrate future projects into their new framework, fostering continual improvement.
For facilities implementing energy-management systems but not interested in pursuing ISO 50001 certification, there had been no DOE recognition available until recently. The 50001 Ready program now provides recognition, tools and resources freely available to any organization interested in implementing an energy-management system, whether the organization decides to ultimately pursue certification or not.
With 50001 Ready, the emphasis is on a “do it yourself” method for instituting an energy-management system that will encourage more facilities to realize savings through an increased culture of energy management. Another goal of expanding the DOE 50001 support program is to involve more commercial and institutional facilities, including hotels, hospitals, colleges, big-box retailers and more, in energy management.
Four Seasons Produce and Charter Steel are demonstrating 50001 Ready is a comprehensive way organizations can manage energy like other key expenditures and inputs. It enables higher ENERGY STAR scores from the Washington-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and helps meet any organizational energy and sustainability goals. From steelmaking to refrigerating produce to hundreds of other types of operations, an organizational culture of energy management can be a competitive edge. Could your facility be 50001 Ready next?
Learn more about 50001 ready and/or get started on your own energy-management journey.