Code of practice on Energy Management of Cleanrooms published

BSI, the business standards company has recently published guidance on helping organizations to manage their cleanroom-related energy output. Correct implementation of cleanrooms can typically contribute to 80% of a facility’s total energy bill, so the need to reduce this burden was identified by the BSI.

BS 8568 Code of practice Energy Management of Cleanrooms sets out a clear guidance for cleanroom designers and managers on how to become more energy efficient. Implementing the standard means enhanced energy performance whilst saving money and reducing carbon emissions. BS 8568 provides a checklist of energy saving opportunities and guidance on implementing each of them and goes much further in assisting this process than the ISO 14644 series of cleanrooms standards.

The main reasons for creating the standard were to:

• Address the global need to reduce energy usage

• Help the cleanrooms industry to meet its energy reduction targets

• Enable businesses to reduce energy-related costs

• Manage future growing energy costs

• Allow compliance with BS ISO 50001 the purely Energy Management Systems standard which offers no practical guidance

The standard has been created collaboratively by industry experts whose experience ranges from the energy reduction, carbon management and heating, ventilation and air conditioning environments at such organizations as Astra Zeneca and IBM.

BS 8568 also follows BS ISO 50001 and helps organizations to demonstrate compliance towards legislation associated with energy efficiency such as the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, Energy Performance Certification of Buildings, The Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change Levy and Building Regulations Part L – Conservation of Fuel & Power.

The document identifies a clear strategy for cleanroom energy management and is of use to cleanroom managers and designers, quality control managers and operations managers. Alongside energy reduction potential it allows them to evaluate and avoid any negative consequences within their cleanroom operation.

Dick Gibbons Chairman of the Cleanroom Technology Committee said: “Principally the guide stresses the importance of creating a project team and process flow chart to review potential change and to plot a logical way through the range of available opportunities. It lists the potential team member skills and indicates the vital role they play in completing the task.”

Dan Palmer, Head of Market Development for at BSI said: “Even organizations that have a cleanroom strategy in place can find themselves spending much more than they need to on energy costs. BS 8568 Code of Practice on Energy Management of Cleanrooms is a very valuable cost-saving tool for cleanroom designers and operators. The approach taken in the standard, which provides a check list that is connected to explanatory text, also enables them to logically evaluate any potential negative impacts and helps to minimize them.”