Going digital for better energy management

SINGAPORE is encouraging businesses in the industrial sector to adopt new digital solutions to help improve their energy efficiency and curb carbon emissions. Digitalisation can help such industrial users - which account for half of the Republic's total energy use - more effectively gather and analyse relevant data that can help them take action to reduce consumption.

Under a typical digitalisation scenario, tools such as sensors and smart meters collect data on energy use and other conditions that affect energy consumption, such as climate. This data is then processed using artificial intelligence algorithms, and sent to devices that can automatically make the changes required to optimise energy use; such as switches in a building's cooling system that can adjust the energy being consumed.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), digital technologies are already widely used in many energy end-use sectors around the world. "More and more residential and commercial buildings are equipped with smart appliances and intelligent energy management systems. In the industry sector, advanced robotics and 3D printing are becoming standard practice," IEA said in an article on its website titled "Energy efficiency: Digitalisation".

ENERGY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

One digital solution helping companies to become more energy efficient is the Energy Management Information System (EMIS), an online tool that enables different levels of an organisation, whether individuals or departments, to plan, monitor and take action to continually improve and maintain energy performance.

"In today's business environment, where there is increasing focus on sustainability measures and a shift towards climate-friendly governmental policies, it is important for companies to take early action to minimise energy wastage in their operations and to maintain a strong image of environmental responsibility," said Tan Meng Dui, CEO of National Environment Agency (NEA).

"Harnessing technologies, such as digital Energy Management Information Systems, is one of the ways companies can modernise their energy management processes. Through the collection and analysis of real-time data on energy usage and visualisation of data through dashboards, such systems allow companies to accurately identify performance lapses and quickly formulate cost-effective and targeted energy efficiency measures," he added.

Such systems use sensors to monitor energy use at systems level, as well as dashboards that show key energy indicators for performance tracking. Among other benefits, it helps energy managers identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvement, and to track the outcomes of improvement projects.

Said Mr Tan: "We encourage companies to continually evolve their operations using such tried and tested innovations, to grow their competitive edge, while contributing to the global fight against climate change."

Key features of an Energy Management Information System (EMIS)

Source: www.e2singapore.gov.sg

Winners

Energy Efficiency National Partnership Awards

The Energy Efficiency National Partnership Awards (EENP Awards) aims to foster a culture of sustained energy efficiency improvement in Singapore, and encourage companies to adopt a proactive approach towards energy management by identifying and sharing best practices with other enterprises. There are four award categories for the industry:

a) Excellence in Energy Management

b) Best Practices

c) Outstanding Energy Manager of the Year

d) Outstanding Energy Services Provider of the Year

The EENP Awards also recognises public sector individuals and organisations that have demonstrated a high level of commitment towards sustained energy efficiency improvements and practices.

Excellence in Energy Management

This award recognises companies that have demonstrated a high level of commitment to excellence in energy management. The award recipients in this category are:

Best Practices

This award recognises corporate teams which have implemented energy efficiency projects that have led to improvements in the energy performance of their facilities. The award recipients in this category are:

Under this category, four companies also received the "Best Practices (Honourable Mention)" Award:

Honourable Mention

Outstanding Energy Manager of the Year

This award recognises outstanding energy managers who have demonstrated leadership in driving EE improvements across their organisation, and played an instrumental role in promoting EE initiatives within their organisation. The award recipient in this category is:

Best Energy Efficiency Practices in the Public Sector

The award recognises outstanding public sector agencies that have demonstrated exemplary performance and commitment to energy management efforts and have been proactive in implementing energy use improvements. The award recipients are: