EnMS - a vital solution

Applying EMS, building of Ho Chi Minh City Television has founded Energy Management Department with participation of representatives of divisions relating to managing and using energy, developed and maintained a appropriate energy policy, set out energy management goals, targets and plan in short-term (1 year) and long-term (5 years), implemented solutions, installed energy saving equipments for lighting systems, air-conditioning system, etc., apply comprehensive energy management solution (monitoring energy, air-conditioning system, lighting system, architecture), etc. Thus, in 2009, this building saved 16% electricity consumption in comparison to 2008 while the number of activities and event increased a lot.

With the support of HCMC Energy Conservation Center (HCMC-ECC), Sai Gon Industry Corporation has applied EMS for its factories and other units. Ben Thanh Tobacco Factory - Craven "A" and Khanh Hoi Tobacco Factory has achieved very good results and gained national energy management award. Two these factories has proposed detail energy saving targets and policies with clear executing plan, conducted training and encouraged employees to save energy along with energy auditing, monitoring and measuring, etc.

Thanks to databases system on energy consumption to find out causes and solutions when the rate of energy consumption goes higher than standard level, the factory has invested in energy saving solutions as follows: management solution, low investment solution (reduce the number of fluorescent lamps in the workshops while still ensuring light intensity for work; install timer switch to control air-conditioning and ceiling fan use, etc.); high investment solutions (install frequency transformer 15kW, 75kW, 45kW for cold water pump motor of central air-conditioning, etc.). All of these help the factory save cost for energy significantly.

Representative of Sai Gon Industry Corporation said that average energy consumption of Ben Thanh Tobacco Factory - Craven "A" went down from 0,013kWh/package (2009, 2010) to 0,011kWh/package at 15% in 2011, and reduced 414 tons of CO2 emission a year to natural environment. Similarly, Khanh Hoi Tobacco Factory also reduced 775 tons of CO2 emission per year; electric consumption decreased from 1000kWh/50.000package in 2008 to under 800kWh/50.000package in 2011. Especially, with investment in new packaging chain, the factory can save 600kWh/day, equivalent to 187.200kWh/year.

Renaissance Riverside Hotel met some difficulties when establishing EMS at the beginning, such as spirit of all employees, investment resource to deploy technology solutions, etc. However, with the support of HCMC-ECC in developing an EMS, energy auditing, etc., the EMS of Renaissance Riverside Hotel has gone into stability quickly, and gain expected results. Only in 2011, the hotel saved 3% energy consumption of rooms although the hotel didn't invest in technology solutions and other solutions for maintaining and improving EMS.

With the aim to honor and enhance brand reputation of enterprises and products/services, ECC has based on annual consultancy result of EMS to select some enterprises achieved great results in developing EMS to attending the awards "national energy management award" and "South East Asia energy management award". The award-winning enterprises include HCMC Television, Renaissance Riverside Hotel, Continental Hotel, Sai Gon Technology University, Ben Thanh Tobacco Factory, Khanh Hoi Tobacco Factory, Diamond Plaza (South East Asia award) 

It’s possible to save 5-30% of energy

HCMC-ECC said that EMS (ISO 50001) is considered as one of the best energy saving solution which can brings many benefits to enterprises, such as managing cost for energy systematically, rationalize production, reducing cost of operation and maintenance, improving perception and knowledge about using energy effectively of employees, increasing image and value of products, services and competition, supporting other management systems, such as ISO 9001, 14001, etc.

Especially, ISO 50001 helps managers of enterprises understand and commit to execute following issues: define, establish, implement and maintain an energy policy; appoint a management's representative and found an energy management team; provide the necessary resources  to build and improve an EMS to achieve efficiency in using energy, propagate the importance of energy management to everybody in the organization, considering energy efficiency in the short-term and long-term plans, etc.

Although the Law on Energy Efficiency and Conservation does not require enterprises to register to ISO standard for their EnMS but the registration to this standard will help enterprises affirm effectively EnMS, enhance corporates’ reputation, build up green products branding, clean and more competitive in the world market.

ECC-HCM