The Reluctant Energy Manager: Getting Started with EnMS
Meet Raj, a senior engineer at MalayTech Manufacturing. His Monday started like any other until his boss dropped by with “exciting news.”
“Congratulations, Raj! You’re now our Energy Manager for EECA compliance,” his CEO announced, dropping a thick guidelines document on his desk before hurrying off to another meeting.
Raj stared at the document titled “Guidelines on Energy Management System” and sighed. Another responsibility to juggle alongside his already overflowing plate of projects. “What even is an EnMS?” he muttered.
What You Need to Know About EnMS Requirements
If you’ve been suddenly tasked with implementing an Energy Management System (EnMS) for EECA 2024 compliance, don’t panic. The process can be broken down into manageable steps.
Step 1: Establish Commitment (Or: How to Get the Boss to Care)
Raj’s first challenge was getting management buy-in. The guidelines mentioned “top management commitment,” but his CEO seemed to think appointing Raj was the end of his involvement.
What the guidelines say: Top management must review and endorse the EnMS boundary, energy policy, allocate resources, and appoint a management representative.
What this means in real life: You need your boss to actually care about energy management, not just delegate it.
Raj’s solution: He prepared a simple one-pager showing:
- Current annual energy costs: RM 2.4 million
- Potential savings with effective EnMS: 10-15% (RM 240,000-360,000 annually)
- Penalties for non-compliance: Up to RM 100,000
- Timeline: EC enforcement begins January 2026
Suddenly, his CEO was interested. “Set up a meeting to discuss this further,” he said, actually reading the document this time.
Quick Tip: Frame EnMS implementation in terms of financial impact, not just compliance. Most organizations can achieve 10-15% energy savings with proper management systems.
The Management Committee (Or: How to Share the Burden)
The guidelines required forming an Energy Management Committee. Raj initially dreaded this—more meetings!—until he realized it meant distributing responsibilities.
What the guidelines say: Form a committee with representatives from various departments that meets at least 4 times yearly.
What this means in real life: You don’t have to do this alone! Recruit allies from across the organization.
Raj’s approach: He identified key players:
- Ahmad from Maintenance (knows all equipment inside out)
- Sarah from Finance (controls the budget)
- Mei from Production (manages the biggest energy consumers)
- Ravi from HR (can help with training and awareness)
“Think of it as the Avengers, but for energy saving,” Raj explained during their first meeting. “We each bring different superpowers to the table.”
The Energy Policy (Or: The Document Nobody Reads But Everyone Needs)
What the guidelines say: Develop an energy policy showing commitment to continual improvement, compliance, and supporting energy-efficient purchases.
What this means in real life: Create a simple, clear statement that actually guides decisions rather than collecting dust.
Raj’s approach: Instead of copying a template, he worked with the committee to create a policy that reflected MalayTech’s actual values and operations:
“At MalayTech, we’re committed to using energy wisely because it makes business sense and environmental sense. We will:
- Measure what matters
- Fix what’s wasteful
- Buy what’s efficient
- Improve continuously”
The CEO actually read it, approved it, and—most importantly—remembered it.
Implementation Tip: Your energy policy must be displayed in a conspicuous location visible to all staff. Make it memorable with simple, clear language rather than corporate jargon.
The Executive’s Guide to EnMS
For CEOs, COOs, and other executives reading this, here’s what you need to understand about EnMS implementation:
This isn’t just compliance busy-work. A properly implemented EnMS typically delivers 10-15% energy savings with ROIs under two years.
Your involvement matters. Your energy manager needs your visible support, not just your signature on documents.
Resources are required. This includes time for your staff to participate in the Energy Management Committee and potentially budget for monitoring equipment or efficiency upgrades.
It’s a business opportunity. Beyond compliance and cost savings, effective energy management can enhance your company’s reputation, prepare for future carbon regulations, and improve operational reliability.
Key Takeaways
- Management commitment is the foundation of successful EnMS implementation
- Form a cross-functional committee with representatives from key departments
- Create a clear, actionable energy policy that guides decision-making
- Display your energy policy prominently in your facility
- The committee must meet at least 4 times per year
What’s Next?
In our next article, we’ll explore how to assess your facility’s energy performance and set meaningful targets—without expensive consultants or specialized equipment. We’ll follow Raj as he tackles energy mapping, baseline establishment, and target-setting using practical, accessible methods.
Need help getting started with your EnMS implementation? Contact Innovast for a free gap analysis consultation to identify your organization’s specific needs and compliance requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
EECA 2024 requires designated energy consumers to implement an Energy Management System (EnMS), conduct regular energy audits, and submit energy consumption reports. The EnMS requirements include establishing an energy policy, forming an energy management committee, setting targets, implementing action plans, and conducting regular reviews.
The Energy Management Committee should include representatives from departments such as facilities/engineering, production, finance, procurement, human resources, and administration. The committee must be led by a management representative from top management and include a Registered Energy Manager (REM).
An effective energy management policy should include commitments to continual improvement of energy performance, providing necessary resources, compliance with regulations, and supporting the purchase of energy-efficient products and services. It must be documented, implemented, and displayed in a conspicuous location.
