On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Energy Management Association (EMA) saluted the millions of concerned citizens who have supported the occasion over the past half-century. EMA is also calling attention to an often-forgotten facet of conservation, energy efficiency.
EMA partner ENERGYSTAR estimates that 30 percent of the energy consumed by U.S. buildings is wasted. Considering that the building sector consumes 40 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S., there is obviously a conservation opportunity within our grasp. After all, the cheapest, cleanest kilowatt of energy, is the one that was not consumed. Energy efficiency offers a proven remedy for energy waste, said the group.
Noting that there is already a serious shortage of engineers in the U.S., EMA urged rising science and technology students to enter the energy management field and commended them to a resource on its website; “Essential Techniques and Calculations for Energy Managers & Commissioning Authorities” a two-hour webinar that reviews calculations, formulas and unit conversions needed for ASHRAE level audits and commissioning activities. Among the topics covered are establishing energy baselines, analyzing utility consumption, energy performance benchmarks, and identifying/evaluating energy conservation measures (ECMs).
EMA is the administrator of the Energy Management Professional Certification (EMP) which has achieved accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and is a recognized certification by the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Workforce program. EMPs work on energy retrofit projects over the world that result in reduced energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and extend the life of building mechanical systems, further reducing energy use associated with the manufacture of replacements.