An energy management system (EnMS) is a collection of procedures and practices to ensure the systematic tracking, analysis and planning of energy use in industry. Systematic energy management is one of the most effective approaches to improve energy efficiency in industries, because it equips companies with practices and procedures to continuously make improvements and capture new opportunities.
Industrial energy efficiency can be greatly enhanced by effective management of the energy use of operations and processes. Experience shows that companies and sites with stronger energy management programs gain greater improvements in energy efficiency than those that lack procedures and management practices focused on continuous improvement of energy performance. Energy Management Systems provide such a framework to manage energy and promote continuous improvement. They establish assessment, planning, and evaluation procedures which are critical for actually realizing and sustaining the potential energy efficiency gains of new technologies or operational changes.
There are a number of guidelines aimed at helping companies to establish an effective EnMS - including those from the Australian Energy Efficiency Exchange, the Irish Sustainable Energy Authority, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Energy and the recent ISO 50000 series of the International Standards Organization.