CAS in energy management: an innovative continuing education program as a tool to market transformation

摘要

Energy management can be defined as effectuating organizational, technical and human actions in order to improve an organization's energy performance. Since June 2011, the new ISO 50001 norm has provided a framework for requirement for establishing, maintaining and improving an energy management system. One major aim of the new University of Geneva continuing education program, the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in energy management (whose 2nd edition will start in January 2014), is to teach its candidates (mostly professionals with a technical profile active in the field of energy) how to implement an ISO 50001 energy management system in organizations. However, another possibly even more important aim of the program is to produce professionals with strong marketing capabilities, able to more successfully sell energy-efficiency projects. In order to achieve this aim, the unique features of the CAS in energy management are the following: 1. Integrating organizational, human and technical aspects of energy management. 2. Teaching techniques designed to influence individual and organizational behavior and decision-making (change management, negotiation). 3. Teaching the (basics of) principal tools of business management: strategy, risk management, corporate finance, project management. 4. Teaching a conceptual framework designed to include the non-energy benefits of energy-efficiency in energy-performance projects and investment calculations. 5. Using a new pedagogical tool to help the candidates to integrate and apply the methods and concepts taught: the serious game. Based on these characteristics and content, this new program not only helps to build a standard for energy professionals but also represents a new tool to overcome the barriers to energy-efficiency in organizations and to transform the market towards more sustainable energy use. The aim of the present paper is to describe the program and its market transformation potential in further detail.