The Japanese monthly magazine "ISOS" is a well-known ISO dedicated publication to provide latest ISO related information on activities, studies, and developments in Japanese. In the March edition of "ISOS", the interview article with an U.S.A. ISO/TC242 expert provided a very clear picture about SEP and its programs currently being promoted by USCEEM and DOE in the U.S.A. This article should stimulate Japanese readers who are struggling in tackling with ISO 50001 international standard with some new ideas given by the SEP program. We believe it is also a good reference to those who are not yet familiar with SEP program, and therefore would like to introduce summary of the message coming from the article.
The expsert urges Japanese industries to adopt ISO 50001 which is a beneficial tool to enhance Japan's leading role in energy saving technology through energy management aspects in the global scene. The part that will generate ISO 50001 awareness in Japan is where the expert speaks about SEP's drive to improve energy performance improvement and the certification part should come with the performance. He elaborated this from the perspective of both ISO and SEP positions "when implementing ISO 50001, there is an option for energy users to self-declare conformance".
The article also provides overview of the following three key SEP programs:
      a)  Energy performance verification standardization scheme
      b)  Energy management scorecard scheme for performance ranking
      c)  Success stories of significant energy performance improvement results from SEP pilot program
                                                                                                                                 [Go to full article overview page]
EnMS-Doc is putting a high value on the fact that through the SEP effort, the U.S. government is addressing energy management operation as a priority and focal point for the industrial sector to build up competitive advantage in the global scene. EnMS-Doc will continue to follow SEP updates and plan to provide timely key information to our visitors.

In the article, the expert also introduced briefly about GSEP by stating "During the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) took place in July 2010, Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP) was founded as an Japan-U.S.A. initiative related to energy conservation (refer to the chart on the right prepared by METI, Japan). In GSEP, there are 6 ongoing working groups (WG), and 3 WGs (Cement, Power, Steal) chaired by Japan, 2 WG (EnMS certification, Cool Roofs and Pavements) chaired by the U.S.A. and 1 WG (Combined Heat and Power and Efficient District Heating and Cooling) chaired Finland. The WG are liaised with METI for Japan, DOE for the U.S.A. and Ministry of Employment and the Economy for Finland."
                                                                                                                                                 [Page showing enlarged chart]
By the way, listed below is three important meetings related to GSEP held in March and April:
12-13 March 2012   Tokyo, Japan   "GSEP Sectoral Working Group Sessions (Power, Steel and Cement WG)
22-23 March 2012   Seoul, Korea    "GSEP Energy Management Working Group Meeting"
25-26 April 2012      London, UK      "Clean Energy Ministerial 3 (CEM3)"

In the same March edition of "ISOS" also features "Business Continuity Management: The latest ISO standard trend and key elements to adopt BSMS". When observing the BSMS, you will appreciate very much that "Energy Management" and "Business Continuity" are linked by fate. "Business Continuity" is a globally hot topics today because from the recent global experiences, people are realising that "without energy you cannot sustain the business". Once you are adopting ISO 50001 based energy management operation, automatically you are advancing to manage the business continuity aspects. The 12 management documents that are offered from our menu pages designed to ensure ISO 50001 compatible energy management operation are receiving very favourable review for their nature of coherency in guiding towards business continuity management.

There are invisible creatures called "energy" running around endlessly.

How can you make the creatures behave without being able to seeing them?

Energy monitoring will enable you to visualise how do creatures run and behave.

By seeing their movement, your world of energy management lit up at once.

Just by seeing, we are intelligent enough to think how to calm down energy, and act on it.

Then for sure, a good result follows.

By seeing the result, person making effort will be motivated.

Result with legitimate data lets report to boss with confidence. With boss's praise, the person will be even more motivated.

No one stronger than a person with motivation. Not just effort to sustain the result, contriving for further improvement.

(1)  Prime purpose of energy management is not only to reduce energy consumption per unit of output but is a business
      operation how to maximize output per unit of energy consumption.

(2)  Unlike managing how to prevent negative impacts, energy mnagement is to produce the highest value and quality goods
      or services at the lowest energy consumption to gain global competitive advantage

(3)  The business issues such as how much added value created have to be self-evaluated within the energy user
      organization.

(4)  When carring out sustainable business business development, the organization must decide (1) to value the benefit
      of obtaining certification through the third party certification body; or (2) to value the benefit
      of taking the essence of gaining energy performance improvement by concentrating
      in energy management operation, leading to performing self-evaluation to declare voluntary certification.

(5)  Authenticity of self-certification is largely depended on how the organization effectively communicates
      its commitment in thier sustainablity and CSR practices.

(6)  The most important element of the communication is to establish a solid documentation ensuring the continual
      energy performance improvement as the energy management operation is properly executed in
      harmony with the documentation.

(7)  In other words, when a solid documentation is established for energy management operation and provided it
      is executed in harmony with the contents, the self-declaration is immovable even facing an
      sudden inspection without notice.

(8)  Even when EnMS audit is performed, it is anticipated that more than 80 % audit activities will be time spent on
      evaluating the documentation. This is because the quantitative evaluation of the energy performance
      improvement, defining baseline and EnPI are done through records of data and documents
      supporting them to verify the compatibility to the requirements.

In order to support the ISO 50001 self-declaration motive, those who benefit from must voice to move forward. Please provide your comments regarding ISO 50001 self-declaration. We will continue to endorse so the self-declaration system is soon in place. We also believe certification bodies will benefit from the system, and we see some organization are already coming up with services promoting the self-declaration.

(1)  The prime purpose of energy management is to continual improvement of energy performance, and if the system is valid,
      it automatically complies to ISO 50001 standard, and therefore principally it provides "self certification" framework.

(2)  Since it is the international standard, it provide the system to quantify and verify the energy performance improvement at
      the universal scale no matter where your business units are located globally or locally.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

(3)  Person(s) responsible for leading the EnMS operation has the role and responsibility to create and maintain the
      management documents including "EmNS Charter" to ensure the operation is ISO 50001 compatible, and so the
      organization is comfortable in self certifying.

ISO 50001 is not at all particular about the "certification".

ISO 50001 is particular about "Improving your energy performance"

It strongly recommends to take the essence rather than formality.

So, what is the “essence”?

It is to ensure adding value to your business and its sustainability by improving energy performance in your operation.

So then, exactly what is ISO 50001 requiring?

Nothing. It is to promote the mission that each organization has: "Sustainable business development" through achieving the energy performance improvement objectives and targets, as a result of implementing the energy management system in line with the business operation. This is ISO 50001's aim and hope.

DOE Announces Up To $3 Million to Administer Superior Energy Performance Program... ...For the full story, please visit DOE site/ EERE News/Progress Alerts page

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