SQT Blog

ATTENTION!

1. Does your organisation employ more than 250 people directly?
2. Does your organisation have an annual turnover of more than €50 million per year and/or an annual balance sheet in excess of €43 million?
3. Are you a public body with individual buildings having a total useful floor area of more than 500m² or an annual energy spend of more than €35,000?

If you have answered ‘No’ to the above questions, this legislation is voluntary for your organisation.

However, if you have answered ‘Yes’ to any of the above questions, you must complete a high quality energy audit by the 5^th December 2015, notify SEAI once complete, and repeat this every four years thereafter.  Alternatively, you can have a certified ISO 50001 Energy Management System in place, which requires you to conduct regular energy audits to maintain certification.

These are the rules established in the recently published (October 2014) European Union (Energy Efficiency) Regulations 2014, which transpose Article 8 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU).

If your organisation meets the qualification criteria outlined, but is not fully covered by ISO 50001, you will need to conduct a high quality energy audit to comply with the Regulations.

These audits must include energy used by your buildings, industrial processes and transport to identify cost-effective energy saving measures.  The audits must sufficiently represent the overall energy performance of the organisation and the reliable identification of the most significant opportunities for improvement.

Audits are to be conducted with reference to the recently published ISO 50002:2014 or EN 16247 1-4.  Lead auditors conducting the audits must be members of the National Registration Scheme. For your audits, your organisation must:

1. Calculate its total consumption
2. Identify its areas of significant energy consumption
3. Appoint a registered energy auditor
4. Notify the SEAI
5. Keep records

In order to comply with the Regulations, the audits must:

1. Analyse the participant’s energy consumption and energy efficiency
2. Use life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) instead of Simple Payback Periods (SPP)
3. Contain detailed and validated calculations for the proposed measures to determine potential savings
4. Be based on up-to-date, measured, traceable operational data on energy consumption and (for electricity) load profiles

The organisation should be aware that if it does not meet its auditing obligations, for instance by failing to do the required audits or notify SEAI of compliance, it may be prosecuted by the SEAI and is liable on summary conviction to a class A fine.

Find out more about comprehensive lead auditor training necessary for you to conduct your own energy audits here.

Submitted by Ronan O’Sullivan, Antaris Consulting
To read more blogs from Antaris, click here

Save Energy – Save Money – Help the Environment

Light, Electrical Appliances & Energy Tips:

• Turn lights on only when you need them and turn off when you leave the room.
• Keep your lamps and lamp shades dust free – more light in less time.
• If you want lighten your lighting bill, replace incandescent bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescents and LED lighting.
• On outdoor security lighting use timers or motion sensors. They run only when required.

• In general, the most energy efficient HD televisions are LED followed by LCD and then Plasma.
• Switch off and save up. When you leave the TV on standby it can use up to half the electricity in standby as when switched on.
• Be smart with your computer, use energy saving mode and turn it off when not in use.
• If you want save up to 20% on your electricity bill try using a home energy monitoring device. It can help you to manage your energy consumption.
• When replacing a home appliance always chose an appliance with the highest energy efficiency rating. It is a good choice for your wallet and for the environment.
• Plug out mobile phone chargers when not in use

Kitchen & Laundry Tips:

• Use lids on your saucepans. The food will be tastier and it will reduce the cooking time.
• Cook several items of food at one time. Use pans that can divide into sections or use the different temperatures of the space in oven (hotter on top, cooler below).
• When you use the oven resist the temptation to check every minute! 20% of the heat escapes each time you open the door!
• Slow cookers and pressure cookers save energy.
• When using the kettle boil only the quantity of water you need. It is better for the bill, for the environment and for your health. Over-boiled water has a high concentration of limestone.
• Stop the dishwasher before the drying cycle and open the door to let the dishes air-dry.
• If you put hot food into fridge or freezer, they will have to work extra hard to cool it. You can let the food cool first and then put it in the fridge or freezer.
• Defrost your freezer at least every 6 months and check your fridge and freezers door seals.
• Put a full load in the washing machine if you can and use the lowest water temperature required. In this way you can save the money and save the fibres – your clothes remain new longer.
• Iron smart – you should do the low temperature clothes first and the high temperature clothes last.
• Weather permitting dry your clothes outside on the line.  In Ireland, the weather doesn’t always permit this (though we’ve had a good run!!).  If using a tumble dryer, dry heavy and light articles separately and turn the dryer off as soon as the clothes are dry.

Heating Tips:

• When going away, turn off your central heating and set the timer to warm the house up for your return. Switch off heating before you go to bad. The radiators will continue to heat your home for some time.
• Use time clocks to ensure the heating system works only when you need. With central heating systems use zone controls where necessary and fit thermostatic radiator valves to all radiators.
• Turn heating thermostat down by 1°C can save you up to 10% on your annual heating costs. Room thermostats should be set on 18°C for the bedroom, and on 20°C for the living room.
• Your boiler is heart of an efficient heating system. You should have it serviced annually to ensure it is working as efficiently as possible.
• Ensure your house is well insulated. Double glazing and loft & external wall insulation are fundamental for saving money and for keeping your house warm. Improving your insulation is one of the best investments you can make in your home.
• Carpets or rugs are good to insulate floors.
• In cooler weather, keep the windows and doors closed – save the heat!
• Curtains – close at night and open during the day. This little trick will help you to improve your house temperature management.
• If you have a chimney but you don’t use or use occasionally you can fit a removable chimney cover to cut down the air infiltration.
• Before you turn on your central heating…put on a jumper!
• Radiators: to deflect heat back into a room place a shelf or longer window ledge over the radiator. For the same reason fit reflective foil-backed insulation behind it if it is on the external wall.

Water Heating Tips:

• If your boiler is more than 10 years old, to plan to replace it. The modern ones are significantly more energy efficient. Older boilers operate at lower efficiency levels; on average 60% – 70% which means you are wasting heat and money.
• To avoid overheating water put a thermostat to your hot water cylinder.
• Lag your hot water pipes where you can and fit an insulating jacket on your hot water cylinder. For best results replace your existing hot water cylinder with a cylinder with factory applied insulation.
• Take a shower rather than a bath. Usually an electric shower uses only one fifth of the energy of a full bath.
• To save water and energy you should use a low flow shower head.
• Use radiant heat lamps to heat the bathroom area rather than fan heaters.
• If you use spray taps, you can reduce the amount of hot water you use.

You can also save Energy at work.  If you are interested in training in this area, view our range of Energy Management training courses – many of which are accredited.

Sources of Energy Saving Tips & Tools:

http://www.airtricity.com/ie/home/smarter-energy/

http://www.bordgaisenergy.ie/energy-efficiency/home/

https://www.electricireland.ie/ei/residential-energy-services/home/index.jsp

http://www.energia.ie/Energy-Services/Energy-Efficiency

ISO 50001:2011 is a standard created by ISO for an energy management system. This standard’s purpose is to enable organisations to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance. ISO 50001 aims to help organisations to continually reduce energy use, resulting in a reduction in energy costs and also their carbon footprint.

ISO 50001 provides a framework of requirements for organisations to:

• Develop a policy for efficient energy use
• Use data constructively to understand energy use
• Implement targets and objectives to meet policy
• Review results against policy, targets and objectives

Benefits

• Achieves energy savings of 10%-25% through close monitoring of energy management policy
• Builds energy management best practice into business practices
• Improves transparency and communication of energy resource management
• Helps to evaluate new energy-efficient technology
• Provides a framework to promote energy management throughout the supply chain
• Reduces administrative work

Drivers

• Corporate sustainability programmes
• Energy cost reduction initiatives
• Demand from vendors in every part of the supply chain
• Carbon and energy taxes
• Requirement to reduce carbon footprint

Certification is not obligatory. Some organisations implement the standard for its benefits alone, while others opt for ISO 50001 certification.

A company’s senior management must be engaged in order for ISO 50001 to be a success. To implement and sustain adoption of the standard requires behavioural change across the organisation.

From the above chart it is clear that ISO 50001 is still at an early stage of adoption in comparison to ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. As with many new standards, companies may well want to wait until the benefits of ISO 50001 are proven or until customers demand that such energy policies are implemented.

One particular reason for lack of adoption may be a lack of education around the difference between ISO 50001 and ISO 14001. Many organisations will manage energy via ISO 14001, but where energy has a significant environmental impact, ISO 50001 provides a sharper focus on energy efficiency which may ultimately have more benefits for an organisation.

Adoption currently has been led by energy intensive industries such as smelting, mining, chemical, glass and cement. Whether or not adoption will go beyond these industries could be influenced by energy costs, customer demand and education in the benefits of the standard itself.

With Europe committing to a reduction in emissions of 20% by 2020, there is definitely growing support for energy efficiency to bolster emissions reduction efforts. The adoption of ISO 50001 as the European standard for energy management systems sets a precedent: the EU is actively pursuing a policy to implement energy management systems in order to drive more energy efficient industries. Now the real challenge will be to encourage the adoption of ISO 50001.

For more information on Energy Management and ISO 50001, check out our Energy Management training courses here.

Blog courtesy of http://www.pegasuslegalregister.com/resources/pegasus-blog

We are delighted to bring you two free webinars from Antaris Consulting.  Antaris provide SQT’s Quality, Health & Safety, Environment & Energy Training courses.

 1.      Can the threat of adverse publicity motivate companies to achieve legal compliance?

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/1890875576166800384

This webinar explores the question ‘Have adverse publicity orders lead to more effective regulatory compliance?’  You will have the opportunity to learn about current trends in multi-jurisdictional compliance and hear from one of our senior consultants, Cheryl Robertson. Cheryl has previously worked in the oil and gas industry in Environment and Health & Safety. Cheryl is a senior consultant with Antaris, with over ten years’ experience in the field of consulting, specialising in Environmental Management and Integrated Management Systems with Environment, Health & Safety and Quality.

2.      Delivering Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8987522742387711744

This webinar looks at how multi-national companies can overcome the challenges of delivering multi-jurisdictional compliance. This webinar is delivered by Gerard Higgins, the CEO of Antaris Consulting and has over 20 years’ experience in Environment, Health and Safety.

For more information, visit Antaris website

Our training partner of fifteen years, TMS Consultancy, has recently completed a detailed review of how they work and communicate with their customers and, as a result, to facilitate their continued expansion into new markets, they’ve changed their trading name to Antaris (a guiding star, which has played a key role in safe navigation since ancient times).

As TMS Consultancy, Antaris has been helping clients across a range of industries in Ireland, Europe and beyond, to address the challenges of managing their Health and Safety, Environmental, Quality, Accessibility, Energy and Corporate Social Responsibility issues for many, many years. The familiar faces of Gerry, Shane, Finbarr, Doug and Nick will continue to deliver in excess of 45 different training programmes with SQT Training, to the same high standard of excellence as before.

In line with their commitment to continuous improvement, Antaris has launched a new website http://www.AntarisConsulting.com, which provides more details of their management systems expertise, training and consultancy services and software solutions. They have also completed a significant upgrade of their flagship software product, Register of Legislation, which will be re-launched as Pegasus Legal Register on the 1st July. Pegasus Legal Register is a successful and innovative software solution that makes the daunting task of interpreting environmental and health and safety legal requirements and assessing compliance, easy and simple.

SQT Training has always been proud of our relationship with the Antaris Team and so we look forward to many more years of our business evolution and shared opportunities.

The ESB and Chambers Ireland have just come out with a new ‘Bright Ideas A Smarter Business Guide to Energy Efficiency’. Here is a copy.

The guide gives many useful tips as to how to reduce energy consumption. It is well laid out and quickly read. Being more energy efficient makes sound economic and environmental sense and every individual in the organisation has a part to play.

Many projects completed for both Lean Six Sigma Black and Green Belt programmes have achieved significant cost reductions through improved energy usage in companies.

I for one will be using the guide to review our own performance in this area. Given we provide many Energy Management training courses, we must walk the walk, not just talk the talk!

We would like to congratulate a number of our customers who have been shortlisted as finalists for the 2010 Sustainable Energy Awards. The annual Sustainable Energy Awards encourage, recognise and reward excellence in energy management among energy users of all sizes. 2010 is the seventh year of the awards and SEAI received over 450 expressions of interest across 9 categories this year.

A growing number of organisations wish to reduce their impact on the environment and incorporate best energy practices, often saving money along the way.

We have a wide range of Energy Management courses available, including the first IEMA-approved EN 16001 course worldwide.

Best of luck to our customers in the final. Winners will be announced at a gala event in Dublin on 25th November

With September coming and children returning to school and students starting or returning to college, many people begin to think of their own training needs. There has never been as much emphasis on upskilling for all of us.

Here in SQT we find a big increase in course bookings at this time of year. I just want to draw your attention to some of the longer courses commencing shortly. Here’s a quick list and I’ve inserted a link back to the course page, where further details can be found. I’ve included public courses of four days or more duration.

Black Belt – HETAC level 8, commencing 12th October Dublin

Green Belt – HETAC level 7, commencing 22nd September Dublin and 19th October in Cork

Green Belt – HETAC level 6, commencing 22nd September Dublin and 19th October in Cork

NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, commencing 23rd September Dublin

NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, commencing 28th September Dublin

Certified Energy Management – AEE, commencing 21st September Dublin

Train the Trainer, National Register of Trainers – FETAC level 6, commencing 12th October Dublin and 16th November Limerick

Quality Management Systems Auditor/Lead Auditor – IRCA, commencing various dates in the Autumn in Dublin and Limerick

Lean Manufacturing Tools – FETAC level 5, commencing 14th September Dublin

IEMA Approved Foundation Course in Environmental Auditing (Ireland), commencing 11th October Dublin

IEMA Approved Advanced EMS Auditing Course (Ireland), commencing 22nd November Dublin

Occupational Health & Safety Management System Lead Auditor, commencing 8th November Dublin

Good luck to all.

The Green Hopitality Award (GHA) is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the National Waste Prevention Programme. The focus and aim of the Green Hospitality Award is to ‘green Irish hospitality’ and it is now recognised as one of the most successful programmes in Europe.

This is a voluntary programme within the hospitality sector. Each successful member receives an award based on a set of strict criteria and can use the GHA Logo.

Bewleys Hotel at Newlands Cross is a member of the GHA. Some of our training courses are held at this hotel.

You are probably used to seeing the notice in hotels about towels – if you wish to reuse the towels you place them on the towel rack; if you want clean ones, you place the dirty ones on the floor. I was struck by how much more Bewleys Hotel had added to this list, the last time I stayed there.

I took photographs of their card to show how much effort this hotel in making to green Irish Hospitality. Well done Bewleys!