Operation
Task 18: We consider energy performance improvement opportunities and operational controls when designing new, modified, or renovated sites, equipment, systems, and processes.
Detailed Guidance: Energy Considerations in Design
Getting It Done
- Identify the sites, equipment, systems, and processes that can have significant impact on energy performance.
- Incorporate consideration of energy opportunities and operational controls in design projects.
- Include results of energy performance considerations in specification, design, and procurement activities, where applicable.
- Retain records of the results of design activities related to energy performance.
Note: Please bear in mind that the Navigator does not allow for storing of documents or files. You should leverage the Navigator guidance and resources to work offline with your colleagues to ensure this task is fully completed and well-documented. The Navigator should also be used as a project management tool to assign task responsibilities, enable task-specific communications, and track overall EnMS project progress.
Task Overview
In ISO 50001, the design requirements are not associated with the design of products or services to be sold or offered as a service; they are applicable to the development of new, modified, and renovated sites, equipment, systems, and processes that can have a major impact on energy performance within the scope of the energy management system (EnMS). These requirements incorporate consideration of energy performance improvement opportunities and operational controls into design activities. This can provide the basis for more innovative and energy-efficient designs.
This guidance is relevant to Section 8.2 of the ISO 50001:2018 standard.
Full Description
Some relevant KSA standards include the following:
- SEEC New Plant Design Requirements
- New motor standard - SASO 2893:2018: efficiency classes of line operated AC motors (IE code)
- New white goods and ACs - SASO requirement and SEEC
Any sites, equipment, systems, or processes that are within the scope of the EnMS that can or will significantly impact energy performance fall under the design requirements of ISO 50001. This means that energy performance improvement opportunities and operational controls must be considered when you design, renovate, or modify any sites, equipment, systems, and processes that can significantly impact your energy efficiency, energy use, and energy consumption.
Depending on project specifics, items that can significantly affect energy performance include sites, equipment, systems, or processes associated with:
- Management and operation of significant energy uses
- Achievement of energy objectives, targets, and action plans
- Energy performance indicators (EnPIs)
When designing new sites, equipment, systems, and processes, or renovating or modifying existing ones, think about how they can or will affect your organization’s energy performance. Identify:
- Potential energy performance improvements that can be considered for the design
- Any operational controls that may be needed, including controls necessary to achieve energy performance improvement and minimize or appropriately manage the impacts of the design on your organization’s energy performance
Examples of design for energy performance improvement include the following:
- Design lighting to automatically adjust according to the amount of daylight present. (equipment)
- Design air conditioning systems to use a water-cooled central chiller instead of an air-cooled split system for cooling. (system)
- Design the molding process such that hydraulic pumps only pump the volume needed instead of operating at full speed and pumping full volume. (processes)
Some questions to ask when designing new, modified, or renovated sites, equipment, systems, and processes include:
- What characteristics of this item impact energy consumption (past, current, or future)?
- Where and how can energy consumption be reduced?
When evaluating the opportunities for improving energy performance, consider the following:
- How will the existing sites, equipment, systems, and processes be modified?
- What specific items can be changed to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption over time?
- What is the right energy source for this application?
- What are the technological options?
- What operational controls are needed to achieve and sustain design intended energy performance?
For energy-efficient designs to achieve their full potential, the design process should be coupled with proper operational controls. Since equipment controls can be bypassed or disabled, an operational control strategy should be combined with efficient design to ensure anticipated energy savings are achieved.
The optional 50001 Ready Playbook Task 18 worksheet can be useful in identifying and evaluating energy performance improvement opportunities and operational controls in design activities.
When designing or upgrading sites, equipment, systems, or processes that can significantly impact energy performance, to avoid misapplications it is important to pay close attention to how new energy-efficient technology is specified, applied, and used. Installation of “energy-efficient” equipment does not ensure improved efficiency if the retrofit is not properly specified. And, no energy efficient technology will capture savings when installed or programmed incorrectly.
As an example, consider energy efficient air conditioner induction motors. Premium efficiency motors are manufactured using high quality materials to reduce losses, and they consistently demonstrate efficiency improvements of 2 to 5 percent over standard motors. A downside of improved efficiency is that in most cases energy-efficient motors operate at higher speeds than standard motors. This presents a problem in centrifugal device applications such as pumps and fans because higher speed corresponds to higher energy consumption. When replacing standard motors with energy-efficient motors in centrifugal applications, ensure that the replacement motor has the same rated speed as the original, or increased energy consumption will result.
Alternatively, the benefits of energy efficient motors or heating, ventilation and cooling systems (HVAC) may not be fully realized if these technologies are oversized for their applications they are being designed and used for. In the case of the oversized motor, it will waste a great amount of energy when running at reduced loads (usually <40% rated load), or worse case when idling, and should be replaced with a motor that is more appropriately sized for its specific application. Similarly, HVAC equipment (e.g., roof top air conditioners, chillers, cooling towers, and air handlers and water circulation pumps) should be right-sized to optimize energy savings.
Once the questions above have been answered, take action to improve energy performance. The results of the energy performance considerations must be incorporated, where applicable, into the specification, design, and procurement activities related to the project. This should ensure that the decisions on energy efficiency related to the design are carried out. Incorporating results into procurement specifications and activities keeps the purchasing department involved, ensures their awareness of procurement requirements to support energy performance improvements, and provides the justification for any additional costs.
When designing or upgrading sites, equipment, systems, or processes that can significantly impact energy performance, pay close attention to how new energy-efficient technology is specified, applied, and used in order to avoid misapplications. Installation of “energy-efficient” equipment does not ensure improved efficiency if the retrofit is not properly specified. Moreover, no energy-efficient technology will capture savings when installed or programmed incorrectly.
Retain documented information on the results of design activities to show energy considerations were properly addressed. This can take a variety of forms, such as completed checklists, meeting minutes, design drawings, purchasing specifications, and project records.
Recommendations for Energy Considerations in Design
- Energy Consideration in Design is not intended to apply to products and services, but rather sites, equipment, and systems.
- Sites, equipment, and systems to be improved through design should be associated with SEUs, EnPIs, and energy objectives and targets.
- Proper implementation of design projects for energy performance improvement should include proper operational control.
Use this Notes section to save information for communication with other members of your project team, they will be able to see these Notes whey they are logged in to the SEEC 50001 Ready Navigator. Notes examples include dates of meeting with relevant personnel for completion of a portion of the task, decisions that have been made about task implementation, or perhaps a link to a file in your organization's shared drive that contains a completed worksheet or template. Please note, do not enter any information in here that you would not want shared with any members of the project team or the site's administrative staff.
Please bear in mind that other members of your project team will not receive any notification if you add a note, they will only see these Notes when they are logged in to the 50001 Ready Navigator.
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