Blackmores ISO Consultancy Service: The creators of isology®

Working towards a sustainable future is going to require a joint effort from everyone if we’re to reach our 2030 and 2050 targets.

Several initiatives have come out in recent years to try and address one of our biggest challenges, energy consumption. Many of us in the UK will be familiar with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme), which involves regular reporting from those that fit its criteria. It’s also recently updated to include a stipulation to include an ESOS Energy Plan, which requires you to detail a route to reduce your energy consumption.

However, many businesses would prefer a more consistent approach to energy management, such as today’s guest – Daisy Corporate Services.

Today Mel is joined by Damian Edwards, ISO Standards Manager at Daisy Corporate Services, to discuss why they Implemented ISO 50001, what they’ve learned from the experience and the benefits gained from implementing an Energy Management System

You’ll learn

• Who is Damian and who are Daisy Corporate Services?
• Why did they decide to Implement ISO 50001?
• What was the biggest gap identified during their Gap Analysis?
• What lessons did they learn from Implementing ISO 50001?
• What benefits did they gain from ISO 50001 certification?

Resources

• Isologyhub
• Daisy Corporate Services
• Daisy Corporate Services ESG

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:30] Episode summary: Mel is joined by guest Damian Edwards, ISO Standards Manager at Daisy Corporate Services, to discuss their journey towards ISO 50001 certification.

Daisy are not strangers to ISO Standards, already having achieved: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, ISO 20000 and ISO 22301!

They have also recently won the Sustainability and Tech Awards 2024 and the Green Shoots Awards too.

[04:15] Who is Damian Edwards? – Damian has worked at Daisy as their ISO Standards Manager for the past year. A little known fact about Damian: He listens to classical music as a way to focus.

[05:25] Who are Daisy Corporate Services? – The are primarily a provider of IT and Communications. They currently supply a range of services including:

• Unified Communications
• Connectivity
• Modern Workplace
• Cyber Security
• Cloud services
• Managed Services
• Operational Resilience

[06:25] What were the main drivers behind obtaining ISO 50001 Certification? – In addition to the office spaces Daisy controls, they also have a number of data centres, which use massive amounts of energy. Finding ways to monitor, measure and potentially reduce that energy use, and subsequently cost, was essential. 

The second main driver is mainly for commercial reasons. Without Standards like ISO 50001, you can’t bid for larger contracts or Government frameworks.

[08:30] Daisy’s commitment to ESG  – Daisy have a made a solid commitment to ESG, explained further on their website as they break it down into 10 key focus areas. Energy Management is one of the logical steps to tackle reducing carbon emissions.

Data centres can be very inefficient, so being able to consistently monitor, measure and improve their energy consumption is a key part of tackling some of their ESG related goals.

Also being certified means you have the certificate to back up your claims. It’s not you just making a statement, it has to be verified by a third-party.

[10:30] How long did it take to Implement ISO 50001? – It took between 8 – 11 months. For a Standard like ISO 50001, it’s important to do it properly. Some organisations may request it in 6 months, but for larger organisations, that would be a tough ask, and you run the risk of rushing into certification without having those processes embedded in.

[11:45] Did having existing ISO Standards make the process smoother? – Yes, as it was a case of integrating ISO 50001 with our existing systems rather than starting from scratch. Though, having so many ISO’s can water the message down a bit, to combat that we’ve got a single statement that gets across everything you need to know about Daisy.

[12:55] What was the biggest gap identified during the Gap Analysis? – Because we already have so many ISO’s, we can be a bit big headed and say there weren’t many gaps at all, however, there were still some things we could do. One of the biggest areas for improvement was Clause 7, Documentation, as all ISO Standards have their own required documentation.

Another was putting in place a plan for monitoring and measuring our energy usage. We have a Property Director who did do that, but he wasn’t really documenting it, so we’ve put in place some proper processes to help show that we’re actively monitoring it, looking at the trends and putting in actions to reduce and improve on that.  

[14:55] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources  – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.

[17:10] Did closing those gaps make a big difference? – We did have a lot of help from Blackmores in order to address those gaps. Out consultant advised us to combine elements of out Management Review with out monthly Team Meetings, as our Director is involved with those, and we avoid another meeting for meeting’s sake.

We now also produce a pack of all the monitoring and measuring that’s done throughout the month, which makes it easy for us to analyse and identify trends in energy use. Any actions from reviewing this are then recorded and followed up on. So, in essence it’s just made everything a lot smoother.

[19:55] What did Daisy learn from Implementing ISO 50001? – It takes a team to achieve this – you can’t do it on your own. You also can’t rush it!

Another key take away is that the whole project needs to be driven by top management, without all of those elements combined, it’s probably not going to work (or be a lot slower and more painful!)

It’s also really helped with our commitment and messaging around ESG too. So within those monthly Management Review meetings we have a representative from the energy efficiency team, the ESG team and our bids team. They’re then all communicating what the customer message is, that they expect of us, in turn they’re kept in the loop about our energy usage and related actions and can communicate that outwards.

[21:15] What other benefits are there from achieving ISO 50001? – Having our management system verified by a third-party means that we can confidently say we’re adhering to best practice. It also just validates that we are doing things correctly!

It also means that we can monitor opportunities for improvement. If we identify more gaps in future, we have the processes in place to address them.

ISO 50001 has also helped to put some context behind the energy data we’re collecting. Thanks to the new processes we can accurately identify key trends and explain why energy usage may be going up and down.

[23:25] Damian’s top tip – Ensure that your project is driven by top management. They’re involvement means it’s a lot easier to communicate that message that you’re doing the right thing.

Also, ISO 50001 helps with your regulatory compliance too. If you’re a larger organisation, then you likely have to adhere to schemes like SECR or ESOS. If you’re certified to ISO 50001, then you’re already complying with both.

[24:35] Damian’s book recommendation – Beryl in search of Britain’s greatest athlete.

[26:45] Damian’s favorite quotes – “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” and “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

If you’d like to learn more about Daisy Corporate Services, visit their website.

If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

The UK recently hit a huge milestone, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the UK have reduced their Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 50% between 1990 and 2022.

The UK are the first major economy to achieve this, however we’ve still got a lot of work to do to meet our 2030 target of a 68% reduction.

Over the past few years there have been a number of schemes aimed at businesses to help tackle their impact, specifically their energy consumption. Here in the UK, ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme) was introduced as an implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and has been a mandatory undertaking for large organisations that fit the criteria.

Recently, that scheme has been updated and a number of changes have come into effect for Phase 3.

Ian Boylan, Chief Executive Officer at ISO Baseline, joins Mel to explain the recent changes to ESOS, how they affect organisations in the UK and EU and how ISO Baseline’s software can help businesses consistently manage their energy consumption in alignment with ISO 50001 (The Energy Management Standard).

You’ll learn

• Who are ISO Baseline?
• What is the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS)?
• What are the changes to ESOS?
• How do the changes affect those who currently comply using ISO 50001
• What are the changes to the ESOS eligibility requirements?
• How can ISO Baseline help businesses with their ISO 50001 and ESOS compliance?

Resources

• ISO Baseline
• Isologyhub
• ISO 50001

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Ian Boylan, Chief Executive Officer at ISO Baseline, to discuss the changes to The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS), and how the changes will affect the European Directive on energy management and energy reporting.

[03:20] Who is Ian and ISO Baseline?  – Ian has been involved with ISO Standards for a number of years, starting with the technical aspects of building Management Systems, to working with Certification Bodies as an auditor for Management Systems.

From this experience, Ian really got to understand the challenges that organisations face when implementing ISO Standards. Challenges such as maintenance to ensure they are achieving their requirements and objectives.

Which is where the concept for ISO Baseline was born. Targeted specifically towards the Energy Management Standard ISO 50001, ISO Baseline’s software allows organisations to manage their energy processes and provide evidence that you are meeting your energy objectives.

[05:30] What features are included in ISO Baseline’s software? – Features include:

Energy reporting: Information can be displayed in graph or Sankey diagrams to help visualize your energy performance.

Identification of opportunities: Any opportunities for improvement found in the provided energy report will be recorded in an ‘Opportunities Register’

Financial Assessments: Work out life-cycle costs for assets, which can be used as a guide to establish possible savings by implementing suggested improvements.

[07:25] What is ESOS?: ESOS was introduced when we were still a part of the European Union, when there was a European Directive on energy efficiency.

It placed a requirement on member states in the EU to put together schemes for ensuring that large organisations undertake energy audits on a regular 4 yearly basis. In the UK this was adopted as the ESOS regulations.

For many years, if a business’s ISO 50001 certification scope covered all of its energy usage, then your business was considered compliant with ESOS.

If you didn’t have an ISO 50001 Management System in place, you would have to undertake energy audits once every 4 years, and have that reviewed, approved and signed off by a lead ESOS assessor.

At the time, this had to cover 90% of your energy usage. One of the more updated inclusions into these regulations was the introduction of transport as a source of energy consumption.

ESOS also included the requirement to identify significant energy consumption and propose a logical way to reduce energy consumption to improve energy performance.

[11:30] Main changes to ESOS: Accounting for your energy consumption  – Instead of accounting for 90% of your total final energy consumption, you’re now required to account for 95% of your total final energy consumption. The de minimis component of it has been reduced by 50%

[012:30] Main changes to ESOS: Activity Metrics – All organisations will be required to develop activity metrics and as part of your audits you’ll be required to submit those activity metrics.

The aim of this is to allow the UK to effectively assess organisations over established periods (i.e. from Phase 3 to phase 4) to see if and how they are actually reducing their energy consumption.

This could potentially lead to benchmarking, where organisations can be measured against each other.

[14:45] Main changes to ESOS: Submitting Actions Plans – Previously, you just had to submit your completed audits and overall savings potential, now you will be required to submit a proposed Action Plan to improve your energy performance.

You will also be required to report annually on your progress towards that Action Plan.

So no longer can companies coast on simply paying to complete an Energy Audit exercise once every 4 years, now you will have to produce publicly available information that will hold organisations to account. Essentially a name and shame for organisations that choose to do nothing.

[16:55] Making Actions Plans publicly available – Incidentally, it always has been a requirement that everything that has been reportable regarding resources should be accessible, but previously you were not required to produce Action Plans. So essentially now that will also become part of the publicly available information.

[17:30] Making ESOS fit for purpose – When ESOS was introduced, there was already so much other legislation around in the UK, so the main focus then was to align them with one another and to ensure that they were all working towards a common purpose.

In this update, it hasn’t ultimately required you to determine your energy savings potential in carbon reduction, but quite obviously that would be a little bit ludicrous if an organisation went down this route and not to look at it from a carbon perspective, as It’s only a tiny little additional step when you’re doing it from a money perspective and an energy perspective to figure out what the carbon impact is.

[18:30] Do you need help with your Carbon Reporting? – If you need assistance with GHG emission or SECR reporting, contact our sister company Carbonology®.

[19:20] Join the isologyhub – Don’t miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub

[21:25] Main changes to ESOS: Confirming your compliance – There are different approaches that you will need to be aware of when submitting your evidence of compliance, and which one you use will depend on which route you’re taking.

For the full ISO 50001 route, you will need to complete the Annex 1 approach, which is a reduced reporting requirement where you do not need to use an ESOS lead Assessor to submit it on your behalf, the organisation can do it themselves.

If you going down either the energy audit route or do not have 100% of your energy consumption covered by ISO 50001 – you will be reporting using the Annex 2 approach. This is where you still require a lead ESOS Assessor to work with you and provide final sign-off on that reporting.

[24:15] Are there any changes in the eligibility requirements? – There aren’t any major changes in ESOS’s eligibility requirements. They have now updated the turnover amounts from Euro to Pound Sterling following our exit from the EU.

[25:35] How will these changes impact organisations? – Organisations will have to adapt to a more proactive approach towards their energy reporting and management.

No longer can you get away with doing an energy audit once every 4 years and then forgetting about it until the next Phase. You need to start looking at it from the perspective of annual reporting, as all this information is going to be publicly available every year, which is going to be scrutinized if you’re seen to not be taking any significant action.

Large organisations will be compared against each other, and if one is taking action every year to reduce its impact and another is doing nothing for 4 years, which do you think will gain a more favorable reputation?

This level of accountability is long overdue, and will be of benefit to organisations in terms of potential cost savings through reduction of energy use, and also more importantly to the environment.  

[30:00] How can ISO Baseline ISO 50001 help organisations with their ESOS compliance? – ISO Baselines tools and software are going to be the most benefit to organisations that have a real objective to improve energy performance. If you’re just doing the bare minimum to meet requirements, then it’s no for you.

ISO Baseline ISO 50001 is a tool to help systemise your organisations approach to energy management. It can help to avoid a lot of the bureaucracy that can hold up progress, so you can spend your time focusing on the objectives and what the Management System is meant to lead to.

Their software will guide you through the required processes involved with ISO 50001 Energy Management, including Internal Audit planning and completion, Management review, logging and addressing non-conformities and corrective actions.

If You’d like to learn more about ISO Baseline and their software, check out their website.

If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes’:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube | iTunes | Soundcloud |

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance.  If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5^th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.

Over the last few episodes we’ve explored two routes to compliance: Energy Audits and ISO 50001. As we explained, ISO 50001 goes above and beyond ESOS requirements and ensures you don’t have to gather an evidence pack every four years to prove compliance.

However, there are many more benefits to ISO 50001 than just it’s compliance with ESOS requirements. Join Mel this week as she dives into the other benefits ISO 50001, including real world examples from some global brand names.

You’ll learn

• Why Implement ISO 50001?
• What are the benefits of ISO 50001?
• Who has found success with ISO 50001?

Resources

• ESOS
• ISO 50001

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:35] Watch our previous episodes to learn more about Energy Audits and ISO 50001

[01:41] Benefit #1: Cost savings – By Improving your energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, you can save a startling amount. ISO 50001 helps you to put a system in place that will allow optimisation of your energy usage.   

[02:20] Benefit #2: Compliance – ISO 50001 can help you comply with the likes of ESOS and SECR. Carbon reporting and legal requirements in relation to it are global, any countries lagging behind on these requirements will soon adopt or create their own in response to the limited time we have left to reduce the effects of the climate crisis.

[02:45] Benefit #3: Reduce your environmental Impact – By reducing energy usage and switching to more energy efficient means, you will reduce your carbon emissions. ISO 50001 also acts as a complementary tool to ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) that many already have in place.  

[03:10] Benefit #4: A coordinated approach  – Companies, especially large ones, may have multiple systems in place to manage energy. ISO 50001 helps to create a universal framework that can be applied to a whole business.

[03:25] Benefit #5: External Incentives –  There may be external benefits that can be gained by proving that you are taking steps to reduce your environmental impact. This could include tax benefits, insurance ect

[04:25] Benefit #6 Informed funding – There is a lot of funding out there to help companies with new green technology. Having ISO 50001 in place will give you a consistent overview of your energy usage, so you’ll be able to make informed funding choices based on where more savings can be made in terms of emissions and general costs.

[04:55] Benefit #7 Track Objectives – ISO 50001 can help you set Objectives and then set policies and procedures to help make those a reality. Those familiar with ISO Standards will know that it’s all about continual Improvement, so you’ll always be making progress. 

[05:30] Benefit #8 Credibility – ISO 50001 is an internationally recognised Standard, and is a mark of your credibility. This can be used in marketing materials, displayed on your website, used in Case Studies ect.   

[06:35] You don’t have to be a large brand or organisation to Implement ISO 50001. It can be implemented for a business of any size where energy is a significant environmental Impact.

[07:05] Hilton’s success with ISO 50001:  One of the world’s largest hotel chains, Hilton was the first global hospitality company to achieve portfolio-wide certification to ISO 50001. The savings have been significant, reducing Hilton’s energy intensity by 20.6% and its carbon intensity by 30.0% from a 2008 baseline.

[07:55] Bentley’s success with ISO 50001: Reduced energy usage by two-thirds for each car produced and by 14% overall for the entire plant, delivering savings of 230 GWh of energy – enough to power 11,500 houses for a year!

[09:37] Hitachi’s success with ISO 50001: Following the Japanese earthquake disaster in 2011, Hitachi decided to introduce “the smart next-generation factory plan”. Following implementation of ISO 50001, the plant reduced 23 % of the contract electricity, 15 % of CO2 emissions and 5 million yen/month of electricity costs.

[10:12] Toyota’s success with ISO 50001: Implementation of ISO 50001 resulted in a reduction in electricity usage which has translated into cost-savings of more than R4.8 million (Over £210,000!) over a two-year period. The company also generated energy savings of GWh 8.15 across its 14 plants, and reduced its GHG emissions by 7,804 tons.

[10:50] Schneider Electric’s success with ISO 50001: The company adopted ISO 50001 certification in order to maximise energy performance. Following the certification, the business’ energy performance increased by 10.5%, with savings totaling £26,500 over 3 years.

[12:15] Want more info on ISO 50001? – Head on over to the isologyhub to get access to a wealth of ISO 50001, and energy management tools

For those interested in ISO 50001, we’re offering  a free copy of the Standard to anyone who signs up for Implementation with us before the 16^th June.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episode’s

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube | iTunes | Soundcloud

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance.  If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5^th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.

Last week Mel explained the Energy Audits route to compliance, which is a process that must be repeated every 4 years. Companies that want to avoid the inevitable rush to get reports submitted before the deadline may want to consider a more long-term commitment to ensure continued compliance, that being the Implementation of ISO 50001.  

ISO 50001 is the standard for Energy Management, and it goes above and beyond what is required of ESOS. Companies certified to this standard are already considered compliant to ESOS with out the need to complete any additional reporting outside of what is already monitored and measured by the standard.

Join Mel this week as she explains what ISO 50001 is, how it complies with ESOS requirements and the key differences between other environmental standards such as ISO 14001.

You’ll learn

• What is ISO 50001?
• How ISO 50001 complies with ESOS?
• What is the difference between ISO 50001 and ISO 14001?

Resources

• ESOS
• ISO 50001

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:50] Watch our previous episode to learn more about Energy Audits

[01:00] Reminder: Companies certified to ISO 50001 do not have to carry our Energy Audits.

[01:14] What is ISO 50001? This is the Energy Management Standard, a globally recognised best practice framework designed to help manage a companies energy performance, optimise their energy efficiency and reduce their overall impact.

[01:50] Why have a Standard for Energy Management? This standard is most appliable for businesses who are looking to put measures in place to reduce their overall environmental impact, specifically in relation to energy management. Businesses who operate data centers or large healthcare facilities will use a lot of energy, many Implement ISO 50001 to help reduce their costs for energy.   

[02:48] Why Implement ISO 50001 if you already have ISO 14001? – ISO 50001 is specifically aimed at the energy aspect of environmental impact. It helps businesses to take a deeper look at their operations and how their managing energy performance. If you already have ISO 14001, you’re already half-way there, and ISO 50001 could easily be integrated as an enhancement to your Management System.

[03:25] If you want to claim ESOS compliance, it’s important to ensure that your ISO 50001 certification is valid for the compliance date.

[03:50] If you want to go down the ISO 50001 route, the time to act in now (April / May 2023) – You will need to factor in a minimum of 6 months to Implement ISO 50001. Need help with this? Contact us!

[04:40] There has been an increase in uptake of ISO 50001, which has put a lot of UK certification Bodies under pressure to get Assessments booked in before the ESOS deadline. So get in touch with a few UKAS accredited Certification Bodies ASAP to find out if they can accommodate you in an appropriate time frame. We offer a quote request service for free, simply contact us for more info.

[05:50] More about ISO 50001 – It’s based on the Plan-Do-Act-Check cycle, which is a familiar structure to a lot of ISO’s. Many aspects of ISO 50001 Implementation will be similar to the likes of ISO 9001, i.e. having policies and procedures in place and conducting Internal Audits ect.  

[06:34] How does ISO 50001 differ from ISO 14001? – The main difference is the requirement for an Energy Review. This is all about understanding how you’re using energy as an organisation, then using that information to recommend controls to reduce energy use.

[07:43] You will be able to determine your Energy Performance Indicators following on from an Energy Review. These help to establish a clear roadmap and energy controls for reducing energy usage. For example, you could put controls in place for certain equipment, LED light replacements, cycle to work or car share schemes ect.

[08:45] What is the benefit of ISO 50001 over Energy Audits?: ISO 50001 puts a whole system in place to continually Improve your energy performance through controls and procedures. Energy Audits will only tell you about your current energy use and provide recommendations for Improvement with no clear roadmap or further incentive to Implement those changes.

[09:00] What else is involved with ISO 50001?: Another key aspect of ISO 50001 is the continued monitoring and measurement of energy performance. This can then be reported back to the board so they can see the progress being made.

[10:00] What are the key clauses in ISO 50001? ISO 50001 went under a revision in 2018 to align itself with Annex SL, which is common across a lot of other ISO’s. The 10 clauses are as follows:

• Clauses 1,2,3 – Explanatory clauses. You won’t Implement these, they simply provide context and help with key terms and definitions.
• Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation
• Clause 5 – Leadership
• Clause 6 – Planning
• Clause 7 – Support
• Clause 8 – Operations
• Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation
• Clause 10 – Improvement

[11:00] Want more info on ISO 50001? – Head on over to the isologyhub to get access to a wealth of ISO 50001, and energy management tools

For those interested in ISO 50001, we’re offering  a free copy of the Standard to anyone who signs up for Implementation with us before the 16^th June.

Tune in next week where we explore the many benefits of Implementing ISO 50001.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episode’s

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube | iTunes | Soundcloud |

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance.  If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5^th 2023 to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting.

Over the next few weeks, we will focus on how you can comply with ESOS, starting with Energy Audits. These audits are required by ESOS in order to understand where and how energy is used within the organisations premises and operations.  Every audit will recommend cost-effective measures that will save the organisation energy and money, which is the ultimate intention of the legislation.

Join Mel this week as she explains what Energy Audits are, what data you need to report on and what final sign-off is required before a report is submitted.

You’ll learn

• Who needs to comply with ESOS?
• How can you comply with ESOS?
• What are Energy Audits?
• What data do you need to gather?
• Who needs to sign-off the ESOS report before submission?

Resources

• ESOS
• ISO 50001

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:44] The deadline for Phase 3 ESOS reporting is the 5^th December. Remember that ISO 50001 is considered a route to compliance if you don’t want to go ahead with conducting Energy Audits.

[01:32] What is ESOS? ESOS stands for the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme. It was launched by the department of energy and climate change, Deck, back in July 2013. It was established to comply with Article 8 – an EU directive that was created in 2014. Despite Brexit, any qualifying businesses must still comply. ESOS in simple terms is an energy assessment that must be carried out by its definition of large enterprises.

[02:50] Who qualifies for ESOS? Large enterprises as defined by ESOS are businesses that have more than 250 employees and / or an annual turnover exceeding 50 million euro or a balance sheet exceeding 43 million euro. This only applies to the private sector – the public sector is exempt.  

[03:33] When does ESOS reporting occur? Every 4 years – The first phase staring in 2014, Phase 2 was in 2019 and Phase 3 will have it’s deadline this year.  

[04:08] Why is ESOS important? – No matter where you are in the world, energy reduction is crucial. Businesses should also be well aware of their own energy use and impact, not only to reduce but hopefully offset as part of ongoing sustainability efforts.

[04:35] It’s estimated that there will be a net benefit of £1.6 billion as a result of ESOS to the UK alone.

[04:55] What do you need to do to comply with ESOS? An ESOS assessment requires you to do 3 things:

• Measure your total energy consumption
• Conduct Energy Audits – to identify cost effective energy reduction recommendations
• To report compliance back to the Environment Agency (For the UK, other European countries will have their own authority)

[05:42] How can you comply with ESOS? – There are 2 routes to compliance:

• Conduct Energy / ESOS Audits
• Implement ISO 50001  – Companies certified to this standard are already complying with ESOS, as it goes above and beyond ESOS’s requirements.

[07:20] What’s involved in an ESOS Energy Audit? – You will be required to collect 12 months of energy data, provide cost effective energy reduction recommendations for the areas audited in scope, and findings need to be reviewed by an ESOS Lead Assessor.

[08:00] What do you need to consider when collecting data and looking at where reductions can be made? – Facilities – i.e. heating, lighting, ventilation ect. There are a number of energy efficiency initiatives to help reduce costs involved with elements of facility management. It can be something simple like replacing old boilers, using energy efficient Led lighting, reducing working hours in the office, reviewing time settings for lighting, ventilation and heating ect. Many businesses leave unnecessary functions and devices on overnight, start looking at how much energy you’re using and where, and you’ll be able to identify where energy use and costs can be cut.

[10:20] Other things to consider are additional warehouses or transportation within your business i.e. fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance ect.

[10:53] To truly make a difference, you need to spread awareness within your business about any changes you’re making as a result of these energy audits. Including any reminders to them i.e. turning off lights when they leave a premises.

[11:05] What do you need to do to carry out an ESOS Energy Audit?:

• You need to plan the audit – including establishing the scope
• Conduct the audit
• Collect data for analysis and identify the opportunities for improvement
• Pull together all the documentation in an ESOS evidence pack which will be reviewed and signed off by top management and an ESOS Lead Assessor
• Finally, you can submit that evidence pack to the Environment Agency

If you need help with any of this – Blackmores can help 😉  

[11:45] What are the different data sources you should look at? Meter reading records, delivery notes, automatic meter readings ect. We find that the financial team and facility managers are instrumental in gathering the necessary data. Don’t forget to gather any travel information from your drivers or vehicle fleet managers!

[12:31] Establishing the scope and documentation – You will need to set the scope and boundaries of the audit, document the methodology for your data collection and recommendations for improvement, document your data sources and identify any gaps.

[13:00] Final sign-off: Once everything has been documented in an evidence pack, you need to get this signed off by a director or member of top management and by an ESOS energy assessor. Once done, you can submit this to the Environment Agency

Tune in next week where we explore the ISO 50001 route to ESOS compliance.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube | iTunes | Soundcloud |

With the ESOS deadline being just a few weeks away, I’m joined on today’s podcast by Andrew Geens, Head of certification at CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Engineers) to discuss CIBSE and his views on the routes to compliance and the UK’s readiness for the deadline in December 2019.

CIBSE represents the interests of the Building Services industry with a substantial membership base across 98 countries. The Building services industry is very diverse, the services delivered by Mechanical and Electrical engineers range from providing hot water in our buildings to installing and maintain lighting and air-conditioning. CIBSE provide useful guides and Technical Memorandums on all of these aspects including managing energy performance in buildings.

CIBSE operate the largest register of energy professionals in the UK, including ESOS Assessors, Low Carbon energy Assessors and Energy Consultants. 

Andrew gives an update on ESOS compliance in 2019 and the status of the CIBSE approved energy professionals. 

For those eligible companies that have still not submitted their energy report to ESOS, Andrew explains the options available to comply. Options range from energy reporting through to certification to an Energy Management system, ISO 50001. Interestingly, we discuss on the Podcast the tangible financial benefits of companies that have gone down the ISO 50001 route.

Contact us to find out how we can assist you before the ESOS deadline.

Further information can be found at

CIBSE website

Blackmores ESOS webinar

Blackmores ESOS podcast

To help out the ISO Show:

• Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.
• Also available on Spotify and YouTube

Purpose of energy audits

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance.  If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, then there is a chance that your premises may be subject to an on-site energy audit.

These audits are required by ESOS in order to understand where and how energy is used within the organisations premises and operations.  Every audit will recommend cost-effective measures that will save the organisation energy and money – the ultimate intention of the legislation.  Saving money on escalating energy bills will also increase competitiveness. 

Therefore the “Opportunity” in ESOS really is a big one, both for individual businesses and the UK as a whole.

What to expect

The on-site energy audit itself is the practical element of the process in which a qualified auditor assesses your operations (buildings, processes and transport fuel use) to identify how energy is used on a day to day basis, and to identify where savings can be made.

In order for the auditor to understand fully how energy is used, they will need to visit your site and see what is in place and what is used on the site. Typical areas the audit will assess include:

• The type of lighting used in the premises and if more energy efficient alternatives are available
• How heating and cooling systems are managed, reviewing settings and control types
• Insulation levels to see where heat loss could be reduced
• The type of energy used to run the premises, and if cheaper or lower carbon fuels or renewables are appropriate
• How equipment and machinery is used, and if savings can be made through more efficient operation

An audit can take from around 2 hours to a full day depending on the size and complexity of the site. When visiting the site, it is helpful for the auditor to be accompanied by someone from the site who is knowledgeable in the areas being surveyed.  In addition, the auditor may wish to speak to a cross section of staff to include facilities, maintenance and those staff operating specific equipment, or occupying specific areas.

They will undertake a thorough survey of the property using measurements and photographs and assessing lighting, heating and insulation systems, the building construction type and its usage, to create your audit report. During the audit the auditor may also wish to take meter readings, or view monitoring or measurement activities in place on the site.

The audit is a visual inspection and so not invasive of the structure of the building. Each auditor will make their own observations.

To ensure that relevant energy saving opportunities are identified, the auditor may request energy related information in advance of the on-site visit.  

Listen to our previous 17 episodes by subscribing to us on iTunes or Soundcloud

And click HERE for further information on how we can help you with ESOS.

To help out the ISO Show:

• Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Last week we covered what ESOS is, who qualifies and a brief explanation of methods of compliance. In this week’s episode we’ll go into more detail on the methods for compliance, namely ESOS Energy Audits and ISO 50001.

Episode highlights:-

ESOS Energy Audits

Planning

• Which sites are in scope of ESOS?
• What energy consuming activities are undertaken at each site?
• Calculate the % of total energy consumption for each site and activity
• Plan where to focus the ESOS audits in order for the organisation to gain the most benefit

Note: Flexibility to exclude up to 10% of your identified energy consumption under the de minimis rule. Any exclusions must be clearly detailed within your Evidence Pack together with the rationale for exclusion.

Conducting the audit (competence, sampling)

The audit plan and methodology should be developed before the audits begin and should be retained in your Evidence Pack.

When reviewing your ESOS scope, you might identify that you have a range of similar operations i.e. you may have small satellite offices or similar retail units, so you can simply take a sample of these.

A registered Lead Assessor must oversee your ESOS assessment, but individual audits can be carried out by suitably skilled people who are not Lead Assessors.

Note: Blackmores can provide qualified personnel to do these audits.

Data collection and analysis

Where to find your data?

• Facilities managers – for meter readings and invoices
• Your travel team – for information on journeys undertaken and distances travelled
• A maintenance team – for meter readings and invoices
• Vehicle fleet managers – for information on vehicles, fuel purchased and distance travelled

Identifying opportunities for improvement

The approach taken will need to be tailored to the business but could include:

• financial savings offered by the improvement measures and the necessary investment required;
• return on investment (or other agreed economic criteria);
• The comparison in terms of both cost and energy consumption between alternative energy efficiency improvement measures;

Documentation requirements

• The scope and boundaries of the audit
• The methodology adopted
• The sources of the data used
• Any significant gaps in data
• What methods were used to cover gaps in energy data through estimation

Reporting compliance to the EA

Once the ESOS report has been reviewed and signed off by the ESOS Lead Assessor and either one or two Directors, the business can then register their compliance with the environment Agency.

Notification is made via an online notification system.

The most effective route to ESOS compliance if to implement an energy management system compliant to ISO 50001.

ISO 50001 is a best practice framework to help organisations to improve their energy performance and energy efficiency, thus, reducing their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Benefits:

• Improved resource efficiency
• Cost reduction
• Legal compliance
• Satisfy stakeholders
• Full ESOS compliance
• Competitive advantage
• Reputation
• USP

Step 1: Planning

• Identify the scope, including the physical boundaries
• Conduct a Gap Analysis to ISO 50001:2011
• Review existing data in relation to energy aspects
• Create and implementation plan to identify the resources required
• Facilitate an ‘Energy Working Group’ to champion the project and conduct an energy review

Step 2: Document the Energy Management System

• Identify and document the applicable energy legislation
• Identify and document the energy management controls
• Create the energy targets and programmes
• Document the Energy Management System

Step 3: Awareness Training

• Create the training materials for operatives and management
• Delivery of Energy Management Awareness Training
• ISO 50001 Awareness and Auditing Training (optional)
• Keep records of training attendance

Step 4: Compliance

• Plan and conduct internal audits to verify the level of compliance to ISO 50001
• Close out any Corrective and/or Preventive Actions as part of the assessment preparation
• Management Review Meeting

The Assessment

• Stage 1 – Document Review
• Stage 2 – Provide evidence of conformity to what you say you do!
• Listen to our previous 11 episodes by subscribing to us on iTunes or Soundcloud

And click HERE for further information on how we can help you with ESOS.

• Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• We’d love to hear you views on the ISO show and suggestions for future topics.

With the ESOS phase 2 deadline looming, do you know if you qualify? And if so, do you know what to do to comply? In this week’s podcast we will look at what ESOS is and briefly cover the various methods for compliance.

Podcast highlights:-

What is ESOS?

The Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) was launched for consultation by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in July 2013. This scheme is a mandatory energy assessment and energy savings identification scheme for ‘Large Enterprises’.

A Large Enterprise is defined as:-

• Having more than 250 employees
• An annual turnover exceeding €50 million or an annual balance sheet total exceeding €43 million

The pubic sector is not required to participate.

Who qualifies?

• Limited companies
• Public companies
• Trusts
• Partnerships
• Unincorporated associations
• Non-for-profit bodies

ESOS Phase 2 Deadline: 5^th December 2019

Why ESOS?

• Estimated to lead to £1.6 billion net benefits to the UK
• ESOS energy audits have the potential to increase business profitability and competitiveness.
• Helps to identify energy efficiency measures

What do you have to do to comply?

• Measure your total energy consumption
• Conduct energy audits to identify cost- effective energy efficiency recommendations
• Report compliance to the Environment Agency (as the scheme administrator)

ESOS energy Audits:

• Use 12 months of energy consumption data
• Produce cost-effective recommendations for the area being audited or confirm that there is no scope for cost-effective energy efficiency improvement
• Be overseen, conducted or reviewed by an ESOS Lead Assessor

Areas for potential energy saving:-

• Buildings
• Industrial Processes
• Transport
• Employees

Potential routes for compliance:

• ESOS Energy Audits
• ISO 50001
• Green Deal Assessments
• Display Energy Certificates

Listen to our previous 10 episodes by subscribing to us on iTunes or Soundcloud

And click HERE for further information on how we can help you with ESOS.

If you would like to know more about what Blackmores has to offer – contact us today!

To help out the ISO Show:

• Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

What is ESOS?

10,000 of the UK’s largest businesses have to comply with the new Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) and conduct a mandatory energy audit across buildings, transport and industrial operations by December 2019.

Any company with more than 250 staff, or less than 250 staff but a turnover of over €50m and balance sheet exceeding €43m, must comply with ESOS or face fines. It also applies to smaller companies who are part of a corporate group which includes a business which meets those non-SME criteria.

Businesses can’t afford to ignore ESOS – compliance is not optional.  More importantly, any delay in action could mean potential savings go unrealised. Often, the potential savings outweigh the cost of compliance.

This webinar took place on the 8^th March at 11am. This webinar covered the following: –

• What is ESOS?
• Routes of ESOS compliance
• Energy Audits
• ISO 50001 route to compliance

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at: enquiries@blackmoresuk.com

What is ESOS?

In October 2012 the European Union established the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). The Directive specified that all member countries were to create an energy audit scheme which would ensure the achievement of the Union’s 2020 target on energy efficiency. From this, the ESOS Regulations 2014 was established.

The ESOS Regulations 2014 requires large organisations in the UK to undertake comprehensive energy audits, every four years, which focuses on the energy that is used by the organisation’s buildings, industrial processes and transport, the consumption of the energy being used, and any potential energy saving opportunities that the organisation could instrument.

Who is Required to Comply with ESOS?

Any large organisations that employ 250 or more staff or have an annual turnover in excess of £42m and an annual balance sheet total of around £36.5m or are part of a corporate group containing a large enterprise are required to comply to ESOS.

When Do You Need to Comply with ESOS By?

We are now in the second round of ESOS Assessments and below are important dates to remember;

•             The Qualification Date – 31st December 2018

•             The Reporting Date – 5th December 2019

How do you Comply with ESOS?

There are two paths to become complaint with ESOS;

Step 1 

You will need to carry out an ESOS Audit. In order to complete your assessment, you will be required to undertake the following;

Identify and Calculate your Total Energy Consumption

You will be required to calculate the energy used by your organisation/group’s buildings, industrial processes and transport.

• Identify Areas of Significant Energy Consumption

While calculating your Total Energy Consumption, you should also be identifying the energy used by your organisation that accounts for at least 90% of your total energy consumption.

• Appoint a Lead Assessor

If you don’t have an ESOS Lead Assessor undertaking the audit, you will then be required to appoint a lead assessor to either carry out and oversee or review your energy audits and overall ESOS assessment. If you do require a Lead Assessor, they can be external, but you must ensure they are members of an approved professional body register.

• Notify the Environment Agency

Once you have conducted and completed your ESOS Audit, the next step is to submit your ESOS Notification of Compliance to the Environment Agency. The deadline for the this is 5th December 2019.

• Keep Records

Once you have notified the Environment Agency with your ESOS Notification of Compliance, you must keep the ESOS Audit as evidence.

Step 2

If your organisation is certified to ISO50001, you are not required to carry out an ESOS Audit. All you have to do it notify the Environment Agency that you are compliant with ESOS.

Need help with ESOS? We’d be happy to help, simply contact us on: enquiries@blackmoresuk.com

ISO 50001:2018 has been published

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has recently published ISO 50001:2018, the revised standard for energy management. ISO 50001:2018 has been revised to follow ISO’s common framework and High Level Structure (HLS) used for management system standards. This change will make it easier to integrate with other management system certifications, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Those that are already certified to the 2011 version of the standard will have 3 years to transition to the 2018 version.

What is the difference between the 2011 and 2018 standards?

ISO 50001:2018 is based on Annex SL – the new ISO high level structure (HLS) that brings a common framework to all management systems, i.e. it applies a common language across all standards.

This helps to keep consistency, supports alignment of different management system standards, e.g. ISO9001, ISO14001, etc. With the new standard in place, organisations will find it easier to incorporate their energy management system into core business processes and get more involvement from top management.

Other changes include:-

• New clause for understanding the organization and its context (4.1)
• New clause for systematic determination of the needs and expectations of interested parties (4.2)
• Strengthened emphasis on leadership and top management commitment
• Addition of Risk and opportunity management
• Addition of Competence (7.2)
• Extended requirements related to communications (7.4)
• Additions to Operational planning and control (8.1)
• Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation of energy performance and the EnMS (9.1)
• Additions to Management review (9.3)

How your company can benefit from adopting ISO 50001

If energy use is one of your organisations significant environmental aspects, then an Energy management system (EnMS) may provide additional benefit and enhanced focus on energy management.

Application of ISO50001 contributes to more efficient use of available energy sources, to enhanced competitiveness and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other related environmental impacts. ISO50001 is applicable irrespective of the types of energy used, e.g. electricity, gas, diesel, petrol etc…

Follow our Twitter and LinkedIn for more updates about the revised ISO 50001:2018