Challenges in implementing energy effeciency programs in a company

 Introduction

In both weeks 4 and 6, highlights have been made with respect to how energy usage can be significantly reduced in Motkamills by adopting efficient energy consumption programs. In the previous weeks, it was also made known that there are numerous ways through which efficiency in energy usage can be effected, but the approach chosen for this research is "energy management programs." This approach does involve enacting some policies that are geared towards the overall purpose of reducing energy consumption rates in companies and bringing about an effective reduction in the cost of energy (Hanson and Laitner, 2006; IEA, 2006, 2011; ICC, 2009). Additionally, it was noted that in order to bring about the recommended process, a number of support systems are needed, and they include:

1. Networking
2. Workshop
3. direct technical assistance, and
4.  

In line with the above discussion, this paper aims to describe the challenges that corporations might face in the course of implementing the recommended energy consumption programs, provide an understanding of the major processes that are used in selecting a solution with reference to given industry standards that are obtainable in the given market, and make other necessary recommendations that will bring about positive outcomes from delivering the programs.

Energy management programs: a critical review

In week 4, the major highlight of the proposal is that there are numerous ways through which Motkamills can bring about a reduction in the level of its energy consumption, with two major positive outcomes being:

1. Reduced emission: by reducing their level of energy consumption through efficient energy usage, Motkamills will be able to bring about a reduced level of emission and help towards building a more sustainable environment for the future.
2. Reduced energy costs: through the reduction in energy usage, it was also noted that Motkamills will reduce its energy costs because the company will use less energy and incur a lower cost in the process.

The main factor to consider in relation to energy saving measures, according to the same week 4, is the incremental cost.Incremental cost is described as the cost that companies will have to incur in cases where their production increases or the additional cost that companies will incur when they switch to a new production process (Hanson and Laitner, 2006). For instance, if solar energy is more expensive and the company in review decides to adopt solar energy as a result of the resulting positive effects on the environment, it must be willing to bear the additional costs associated with using the new source of energy.

For a company like Motkamills with its over 1,500 employees, it became obvious in week 4 that energy consumption will be high at Motkamills, which means that such programs should not focus only on the production side but should also consider management and administrative blocks. If efficiency in energy use is to be ensured in the company, it must look at all angles of energy usage. be it in the production or administrative blocks.

In week 6, the focus has been on understanding investment decisions when it comes to implementing set plans from week 4. As noted by Neil and Robert (2009), investment decisions can sometimes come in handy in terms of their difficulty level. In any case, the decision of investors when it comes to measuring the opportunities expected from investment revolves around the expected benefits and outcomes from such an investment. In cases where the investment is expected to yield more profitable results, it is deemed right, and vice versa.

In Motkamills, the investment decisions are based on the internetworking of the whole building with the necessary hardware and software to monitor the energy usage level as well as setting benchmarks for reducing the energy usage level. By so doing, the company will be able to know its present position while predicting its future in terms of energy. Additionally, a standby technical team is also recommended to address all issues that might arise from utilizing the present systems. Also, it is recommended that investments be made in workshops and training for the staff in order to ensure that they are equipped with the right knowledge and skills needed to bring about efficiency in energy usage. Through the combination of automation of the energy monitoring system, training of staff, and the presence of technical teams to bring about efficiency in the energy process, it is expected that the energy system will become more efficient.

Challenges Motkamills might face in the implementation process

Considering the fact that there are numerous processes in the implementation stage, a number of challenges are expected, and such challenges will be related to each of the processes that will be involved. Thus, analyses will be based on the different processes as discussed below.

1. Networking: when it comes to networking, the major issue comes in the form of developing a networking plan. For such a huge production firm with numerous production processes, products, buildings, and activities going on (both during business hours and off business hours), building the right networking plan can be very difficult. Additionally, it is expected that the network should be able to monitor and calculate energy consumption at any given point in time within the whole production unit. This further broadens the challenges related to building the right networking plan. On the other hand, huge expertise is needed in order to perfect the whole process, and this becomes an issue when it comes to choosing the right personnel with the needed skills to bring about the perfection of the whole networking system.
2. Workshop: As Vincent (2014) noted, there are numerous issues when it comes to conducting an effective workshop. Issues with workshops are more serious because they can be influenced by numerous factors (from the workshop setting to the participants to the people delivering the workshop). In the case of the setting being discussed, issues will come in the form of getting the right personnel to deliver the workshop. To ensure that the desired outcome is achieved, the company must select the right trainers to oversee the workshop, which will result in the effective delivery of the entire outcome.Additionally, there are also issues with respect to the willingness of participants to learn and their ability to apply whatever they have learned in their working environment. For instance, some participants might naturally not have interest in the whole workshop, while others might not be able to deliver what they have learned later in their working environment (Vincent, 2014). Finally, the setting can also influence the whole outcome of the workshop. For instance, it is necessary that the workshop be conducted in the actual working environment of the participants and with the actual tools and equipment that will be used in that environment. All these issues can influence the outcome.
3. Direct technical assistance—in reference to the networking discussion, it was noted that direct technical assistance is necessary in order to ensure full functionality of the established networks. However, there is an issue of gathering the right team with the necessary expertise and competence to deliver the desired outcome. This is because many can claim to know the job, but the nature of the job in discussion here is such that it is very complex and requires a more experienced hand to perfect.
4. Training: training is very important to the technical assistance staff, just as workshops are important to general staff. This is because the technical assistants will be able to update their skills and competence through training, delivering effective results in the process. Just like the workshop discussed above, training can also be influenced by a number of factors with reference to the company in discussion. First, being trained in the right job setting with the right tools (as utilized in the actual job process) is necessary. Secondarily, the technical assistants must be willing to adopt the training process as a way of enriching their skills and improving their delivery. Furthermore, the right trainer is required to ensure the delivery of desired outcomes.Overall, training has a number of issues emanating from the environment, participants, and trainers.

Besides the challenges discussed above, all four processes also present financial challenges to the company. This is because, in order to effect the whole process, the company must be willing to invest significantly considering the huge nature of its working environment. In cases where any part of the process fails or is not perfect, the company will also be losing significantly. Thus, this is a huge challenge when it comes to making investment decisions, and the company needs to understand its chances of success before venturing into the implementation of the recommended solutions in order to reduce the potential for losses that might occur from a failed implementation process.

Priorities that must be understood in line with industry standards

When it comes to implementing energy efficiency programs, a number of factors need to be considered, but the major ones should be prioritized in order to deliver the desired outcomes. Choosing which approach to prioritize can be difficult given the variety of approaches available.However, BCHydro.com (2014) presented a number of factors that should be given priority, and these factors will be considered in this research.

Figure 1: Energy Management Priorities

BCHydro.com (2014) was used as a source.

The first is the commitment level of the company. Considering that there are numerous issues that can arise from the implementation process, it becomes obvious that the company might be forced to drop such plans as a result of these issues. This is why commitment is so important. As BCHydro.com (2014 noted, the company needs to be committed to its plan to bring about more efficient energy usage tactics. Such commitment will come in the form of developing the plan, implementing it, monitoring it, and making the necessary recommendations to ensure that the plan is capable of delivering the desired outcome. In essence, it must be a commitment to invest both financially and non-financially, as any such plan will not produce the desired outcome without subsequent levels of investment being made where necessary. Commitment is the foundation of any given plan's success because it bridges the gap created by the failure of some steps or issues encountered during the implementation process.

Once the company has committed,  it must next understand itself, its plan, and its desired outcome. All of these three facets must function together. First, the company needs to understand its present energy usage level, then it should understand its plan to reduce such energy usage level, and finally it must understand contingencies that can be used to help effect such plans in cases where they start to suffer from certain blunders. Understanding is very important, and it stretches far beyond the plan itself to the management process. Through an understanding of its present energy usage level, the company will be better positioned to set benchmarks for reducing energy usage and also monitor the whole process.

Once it has a thorough understanding of its energy usage, the next step is to plan and organize how the reduction process will be implemented.As discussed above, the whole process will involve networking the system with the right settings to ensure full monitoring and control of its energy networks and having standby technical assistants that will ensure the system's effective functionality.

The next stage will be to implement the plan. As discussed earlier, workshops and trainings will be used in the process to ensure that the plan is delivered as desired. The workshop will be used to educate staff on the essence of efficiency in energy usage as well as ways to effect such a process. Training will be used to equip technical assistants with the expertise and skills needed to manage the whole energy efficiency system. Basically, the implementation stage involves turning all the plans into actions.

Once the plans have been implemented, the next step is to monitor and control their outcomes. In order to reach this stage, the company must first set a benchmark in terms of the amount of energy it wishes to reduce within a given time frame. This benchmark will then be used to measure its success level. The monitoring process involves ensuring that the whole unit is functioning as necessary and that the energy benchmark is deliverable. The control section does come into play in cases where the company is drifting from its benchmark. It is a contingency plan that is needed to bring the company back to the set benchmarks and plans. In essence, it manages the entire process and ensures that all objectives are met.

Conclusion

Right from the beginning of this course, the overall purpose was communicated as being to gain understanding of efficient energy management. From the first week down to this final week, this purpose has been delivered through different topics that are geared towards enhancing the reader's overall understanding of energy resources and efficient management of these resources. This week brings the whole course to an end with recommendations of how Motkamills can ensure efficient energy usage in its units.

One highlight from this research is that there are numerous issues that the company will face in its quest to deliver efficient energy usage. These issues arise from networking, workshops, technical assistants, training, and other steps that will be taken to produce the desired outcome. For instance, the company is faced with the issue of developing the right network plan, implementing the best workshop for its staff, having the right technical assistants, and offering the necessary training to its technical assistants. Additionally, the company will also face financial challenges arising from such decisions, as well as other non-financial challenges. Basically, the process will be difficult to deliver.

However, it should be noted that if Motkamills ends up delivering the desired outcome, it will benefit from reduced energy costs and a reduced level of emissions. Such benefits are important both for the company and the environment in which it operates. All these benefits are geared towards ensuring that a sustainable future is delivered to the next generation.

In order to effect the whole process, BCHydro.com (2014) has offered some priorities that Motkamills must consider. First, it is recommended that the company be committed to its quest to deliver an efficient energy system. Secondly, it should understand its present energy usage level and what it wants to achieve with future plans. Thirdly, the company should plan and organize how it will be able to deliver on the set benchmark. Fourthly, it should implement the plan as drafted. Finally, Motkamills must monitor and control the plan in order to ensure that it doesn’t drift from its set objectives.

If this whole process is affected, it is expected that Motkamills will be able to efficiently utilize its energy resources, reduce the cost of energy usage in the process, reduce emissions in the process, and ensure sustainability for future energy resources and the environment as a whole. By so doing, the company will also be able to set benchmarks for other companies, and it will also help to build a quality brand image for its products.

References

BCHydro.com (2014). Energy management priorities: a self-assessment tool Available at: https://www.bchydro.com/content/dam/hydro/medialib/internet/documents/power_smart/industrial/carbon_trust_assessment_guide.pdf [Accessed on October 12, 2014]

Hanson, D.A., and Laitner, J.A. (2006). The AMIGA modeling system, version 4.2, disaggregated capital and physical flows of energy within a general equilibrium framework. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, USA

ICC Commissions on Environment and Energy (2009) energy efficiency with case studies. Available at: file:///C:/Users/Hp-User/Downloads/Energy-efficiency-with-case-studies.pdf [Accessed on: November 12th, 2014].

International Energy Agency (IEA) (2011) The boardroom perspective: how does energy efficiency policy influence decision-making in industry? Available at: http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/boardroom_perspective.pdf [Accessed on: November 26th, 2014].

International Energy Agency (IEA) (2006) world energy outlook, ISBN: 92-64-10989-7. Paris, France.

Vincent, F., and P. (2014) conducting effective training workshops. Available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Conducting_Effective_Training_Workshops.html [Accessed on October 12, 2014]