by Brianna Crandall — February 19, 2014—An innovative association dedicated to advancing the quality of energy management services for the benefit of building owners and managers has just been announced. The newly created Energy Management Association (EMA) responds to a need spurred by the growing importance of managing and reducing energy consumption in buildings and the emphasis on the total building envelope. EMA membership is open to individuals, corporate suppliers of products and services, building owners and facilities managers. Its mission is to provide guidelines, training, education and certification programs.
The foundation of EMA is its Energy Management Professional (EMP) program. EMPs are individuals who demonstrate the requisite knowledge and experience of the energy management process and are committed to serve as advocates of the building owner, explains EMA. To become a certified EMP, a candidate must pass the EMP exam, a rigorous test of principles of energy management and analysis, commissioning, and field testing. EMA provides workshops, Webinars and an Energy Management Guideline to prepare for the EMP exam.
The EMP was originally administered by the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG), the organization of certified, independent commissioning authorities, under the Associated Air Balance Council, the test and balance organization. Due to its popularity and interest from stakeholders outside the commissioning community, the ACG board created EMA as a stand-alone association to administer the EMP program and other energy-related programs.
EMA’s formal launch will take place in April at the Cx Energy 2014 conference and expo, which connects engineers, service providers, utilities and others with building owners and facilities managers. EMA will serve as co-presenter for the conference, which features a wide-ranging 28-session technical program and an exhibition that showcases manufacturers and providers of the latest technologies.
