Following are excerpts of the interview with Roshal Perera, Director of Access Energy Solutions (Pvt) Ltd.

Access Energy Solutions recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Tell us a little bit about your beginning and the background?
Purely involved in the power sector under Access International, Access Energy Solutions became an independent subsidiary in the year 2005. 

During this time, the use of electricity was at one of its crucial stages where the national grid served electricity to over 73 percent of households. 

Starting off as a 3-member team, Access Energy Solutions was initially a provider of electrical equipment to electricity and power supply houses, following which we ventured into electrical engineering where we specialized in the design and implementation of electrical installation projects. 

With Sri Lanka becoming one of the highest electricity tariff payers in the world, we saw an opportunity to assist both corporate and industrial sectors in reducing their energy costs and maximizing their profits. This gave birth to our third speciality: Energy Management Solutions. Whilst quickly and successfully progressing with various projects the team at Access Energy Solutions expanded from a 3 member team to a 25 member staff with the expertise from BSc qualified engineers, experienced technical officers and talented draftsmen. 


What is energy management?
Energy Management embraces a wide range of activities and knowledge in the optimum use of energy. It can be best described as a sensible and effective use of energy whilst maximizing profits and minimizing costs. 

Energy management generally includes areas such as the development of energy management strategies, programmes and plans, as well as the professional execution of techniques, technologies and tools to improve the effectiveness, yield and sustainable use of energy. 

Energy management generally combines best practices in project management, energy monitoring and energy awareness, along with an energy policy that governs an organization’s approach towards energy use and performance. 


How important is energy management to Sri Lanka? How can the corporate and industrial sectors benefit from it?
Many studies have found the negative impact on Earth made by corporate and industrial sector operations which are resulting in depleting resources. Consequently, businesses are starting to realize the limited availability of energy resources and the large sum of money spent on energy, therefore evaluating, managing and conserving resources as part of their business processes. 

As such, Energy management is becoming as just as essential to the business operations as accounting or human resources. With the implementation of energy management, both the corporate and industrial sectors can reap additional gains to their organizations with energy cost savings being one of the primary benefits. Additionally, energy management brings about a significant improvement of the energy performance levels which can further lead to energy efficiency improvements. 

Apart from yielding benefits related to energy improvement and energy cost savings, energy management can also result in non-energy benefits such as greater productivity and lower maintenance needs.  This is because energy management fosters a change in culture that engages and empowers employees to identify and address energy-saving opportunities as they materialize. Furthermore, companies and organizations can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability to their customers, employees, investors and regulators, which in turn can result in competitive advantage in the market place by providing themselves as good corporate citizens. This results in companies and organizations enhancing their brand, directly supporting their marketing strategy. 
What is your expertise in energy management and how have they benefited your customers?

At Access Energy Solutions, we are very much technically geared to carry out expertise such as Energy Audits and submitting proposals to enhance our customers’ profitability and productivity through savings. Our success thus far has also been brought about by our valued partnership with M/S Honeywell. As a world renowned company in the Energy Segment, Honeywell has enabled us to expand our horizons and provide our customers with the utmost energy saving and managing solutions. 

Over the years, Access Energy Solutions has completed a few projects in areas of Energy Management and Energy Savings. We have made a significant progress such that we have helped our valued customers save approximately 15 to 20 per cent of their monthly energy. We aim to increase customers’ saving and further expand our horizons with more partnerships while venturing into new and innovative energy saving and management solutions.   
 
What is your vision for the future of the company and how can your company’s role contribute to the country and economy? 
   The vision of Access Energy Solutions is to be one of the most reputed Energy Management Solutions providers which greatly contributed to the energy management and energy cost reduction of Sri Lanka, the corporate and industrial sectors whilst becoming an island wide name amongst many other reputed competitors. 

We aim to educate corporate companies, leading hotels, high rise buildings etc. on the benefits of energy management systems. Through our services, we are driven to demonstrate and communicate with these constituencies the different ways energy can be conserved with the assistance of technological advancements whilst maximizing profits. 

Access Energy Solutions can become a contributor to the economy of the country by assisting the country in saving existing energy resources and avoid buying resources from foreign countries that could create a burden on the country’s economy. We can also create job opportunities with the many energy efficient projects to be launched in the future while welcoming spurring innovative ideas from individuals, who will in turn play a great part in the development of the country.  By enlightening the country and the citizens on the energy management, we can be guaranteed to move forward into a future where energy resources, job opportunities, economical savings will sprout from a country of wellbeing and success.