Opportunity

Improvements over the current situation are achieved by actions. Improvement opportunities will be gradually identified through the management system, but a routine is also needed to capture ideas, assess and prioritize them, and then implement. Over time, evaluating the effect of implemented actions is equally important.

Many companies have already established their own list of Energy Improvement Opportunities (EIOs), to keep an overview over the reviewed and implemented actions. This is useful in order to transfer the knowledge and experience from one installation to another. Further, this also works well for raising awareness and communicating improvements. Finally, this is also becoming a requirement from the authorities to report identified and implemented EIOs.

If you are looking for example of Energy Improvement Opportunities, have a look at the list.

The improvement opportunities process

The measures process is used to plan and execute actions that will improve energy efficiency. A group assignment from the project helped identifying barriers (red) and possibilities (green) sorted for the different steps through the measures process. The most important are illustrated in the diagram below.

Another group assignment from the project collected good ideas for the measures process. Cultural change is central, and as energy manager/part of the energy team you must dare to challenge established truths (“this is how we always have done it”). A fact based decision foundation that considers both probabilities and consequences for upside and downside helps in these discussions.

How to identify the improvement potential
  • Get help from technical personnel
  • Coordinate against planned work/maintenance to find a point in time where change is convenient
  • Create an energy and cost calculator with rules of thumb for evaluation of the measures
  • Run annual workshops to get good ideas. Include at least OPS, OPS support, PTEK, and professional disciplines (electrical/automation/environment/mechanics/process)
  • Consider condition monitoring of the processes.
  • Avoid sub-optimisation. First, the system must be understood through models for the equipment components, and then one can optimise.
  • Evaluate the design vs. the real situation to identify gaps.
  • Map the use of equipment that operates at the same time and contribute to peak usage, can they be run sequentially rather than parallel?
  • Engage “energy hunters” offshore (these will on a daily basis look for wasted energy)
  • Define baselines
  • Set requirements for suppliers
Prioritize Energy Improvement Opportunities
  • Do not aim too high. Focus on fewer measures, and more on quality and effect.
  • Include cost/benefit assessments in a life cycle analysis perspective.
  • Remember that energy reduction includes:
    • CO2 reduction – reduced costs
    • NOx reduction – reduced/increased costs
    • Fuel gas savings – for sale or re-injection
    • Increased efficiency at shutdown of a turbine additionally provides lower maintenance costs for the turbine that is shut down.

 How to set up EIO lists

Bruken av tiltakslister vil variere fra selskap til selskap. Noen har den kun for informasjonsoppbevaring, mens andre bruker den aktivt inn for å overvåke fremgang med tanke på for eksempel reduksjon av CO2 utslipp.

Examples of purposes include:

  • Pick list for good ideas
  • Overview and reference of opportunities and experience
  • Input to ask good questions for new constructions or projects

Regardless of the purpose, there is also some practical advice:

  • Have an owner for the list (e.g. energy manager), but remember that input must come from operations/technical teams
  • The effect after implementation of a measure should be followed up over time
  • Let the list be a living document that matures with experience
  • Keep the list short and concrete

Most people use an Excel-based list. Although many details can be included for the EIOs, begin with the most important ones. A list of categories is given below, and you can find an example of a standard Excel setup here.

Categories Definition of categories
ID# Numbering of the EIO so that one easily can refer to each measure
Description Short description of the EIO
System group System description, e.g. from NORSOK Z-DP-002
Measures types Operative (change in work process) and/or modifications
Maturity Experience basis of the EIO (assessed/implemented)
Measures effect Quantitative description of change (energy related) including unit
Emissions effect Measure effect converted to emission reduction (CO2 and/or NOX) including unit
Investment (MNOK) Total investment cost of the measure
Operating costs (MNOK/year) The measure’s impact on operating costs (can be positive/negative)
Expected profitability Approximate evaluation, investment, operating costs, taxes and fees
Funding opportunity Indication of funding channels that can be relevant for such a measure

Internal sales of business case within the companies

A template for internal sales of a business case in the companies for individual energy efficiency measures were developed as part of the project. This was developed based on input from participants in the project and you can read more about it during the Process for business case.

Process for business case

To gain acceptance for a business case, a stepwise process is proposed for assessing the most critical factors. Central to this is the cost-benefit work, involvement of decision makers, the use of own energy efficiency measure lists, and a good decision making basis. The business case process also includes use of the calculation tool developed in the project, which you can read more about here. The template for a business case can be downloaded here.

Download tips and advice from the project work here(only in Norwegian).