Integrated into management

Companies that have certified an energy management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001 must demonstrate its effectiveness through regular internal and external audits. While external audits may only be conducted by accredited certification bodies, internal audits may be carried out by qualified internal or external personnel.

At HSZG, the degree programs “integrated management systems” and “integrated management,” content on energy management systems according to DIN EN ISO 50001 is taught, as well as the planning, implementation, and evaluation of internal audits, and this knowledge is applied during internal university audits.

Since the 2017–2018 winter semester, this expertise has also been utilized by Stadtwerke Zittau GmbH (SWZ). Under a cooperation agreement, it was agreed that students in the aforementioned degree programs would conduct internal system audits of SWZ’s energy management system under the guidance of their instructors. This includes developing an audit plan, creating audit checklists, conducting the system audits through document reviews, site inspections, interviews with employees and department heads or SWZ management, as well as documenting the audit results in an audit report and presenting these findings at SWZ.

In January 2018, the students conducted the first audits for biomethane production, the electricity grid operations, the gas/water grid operations, and the technical operations management of the municipal swimming pool, and presented their findings to SWZ’s energy management officer on January 23, 2018. The next audits will take place in the summer semester of 2018.

The students’ external and technically trained perspective provides SWZ with important information for continuous improvement. At the same time, the students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a real-world case study.

“Conducting an audit ourselves at a real-world company is a great experience, as it allowed us to put the knowledge we’ve gained into practice.”
(Students in Master's degree programmes).

“For us at SWZ, implementing current and new requirements for energy assessment and the resulting objectives in the energy management system is crucial—a topic we jointly reviewed and discussed during the internal audits, thanks to the auditors’ good technical expertise. For organizational processes and their implementation in an energy supply company, it is important to constantly question the limits, scope of application, and opportunities for influence.”
(Hardy Krüger, SWZ Energy Management Representative).

A collaboration that creates added value for both sides serves as an example of regional cooperation in action, and within this framework enables the HSZG—in accordance with the target agreement with the SMWK for the years 2017–20—to take action in the area of the “Third Mission” (which refers to the mandate of universities to cooperate with civil society and businesses).