Energy Management
Executive Summary
Energy management is defined as "?the judicious use of energy to accomplish prescribed objectives." (Turner, 2005, p. xviii). The purpose of our presentation is to increase the awareness of the significance of energy management, to provide some real examples of successful companies applying energy management programs, and to provide information about governmental incentives in regards to this issue.
Energy management falls under the big umbrella of social responsibility and the narrower category of pollution control and environmental management. Today, managers are paying more attention to their company's impact on and responsibility towards the environment. Therefore, energy management is gaining considerable importance among corporations and managers.
The Environmental Protection Agency has established guidelines for superior energy management. These guidelines provide seven steps, including make commitment, assess performance, set goals, create action plan, implement action plan, evaluate progress, and recognize achievements. Following these steps is just a start for businesses to become environmental leaders.
To help implement energy efficiency, the US government has created many programs to help facilitate this process. One widely known program, ENERGY STAR, is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
ENERGY STAR has created a manual illustrating five stages to maximize energy savings. This manual is essential to companies that seek to implement energy management within their organization. For example, lighting consumes a tremendous amount of energy and financial resources. It accounts for approximately 17 percent of al ...