Frequently Asked Questions

Who is ESU?

The Energy Sustainability Unit (ESU) was established in August 2004 at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore (NUS) through the support of the Economic Development Board (EDB), the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Energy Market Authority (EMA). It is a Partner of the Economic Development Board (EDB) Locally based Enterprise Advancement Program (LEAP) and received a grant over a period of 2 years to undertake 4 programs to develop the energy services sector in Singapore. One of these programs is the Energy Services Companies Accreditation.

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Who is an ESCO?

An ESCO (Energy Services Company) is a company dedicated to the provision of energy efficient technology and services including financing, design, implementation and management of projects.

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What is the purpose of the Accreditation Scheme?

It serves to establish a nationally-recognized Register of Accredited ESCOs in the provision of Auditing Services and to enhance the professionalism of ESCOs practices. It also serves to reduce cost and enhance transparency and market access in the procurement of services.

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What are the benefits of the Accreditation Scheme?

The benefits of the Accreditation Scheme are as follows:

1)	Promote the development of professionalism among the ESCOs;
2)	Enhance the standing of Accredited ESCOs;
3)	Simplify the services procurement and selection procedures;
4)	Support the public sector incentive schemes in the promotion of energy efficiency;

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What are the difference levels and categories for the Accreditation Scheme?

A company may seek to obtain Accreditation for:

1)	Level II energy audit services and/or
2)	Level III energy audit services

The various categories are as follows:

1)	General: For all types of facility
2)	Building: For whole building audit and/or system/component audit.
3)	Industry: For whole industry facility audit and/or system/component/process audit
4)	System/Facility/Process: For specific system, component and/or process audit.

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Who can apply for this Accreditation Scheme?

Any company or organization operating in Singapore that provides energy efficient technology and services including financing, design, implementation and management of projects are eligible to apply for this Accreditation Scheme. i.e. fully-fledged ESCOs, M&E consultants, contractors, facility management companies, etc.

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What are the types of Accreditation available for a company to apply?

There are two types of Accreditation

1)	Full Accreditation
2)	Provisional Accreditation

Full Accreditation is for companies that have been in operation for 3 or more years. This accreditation is for a period of Three (3) years.

Provisional Accreditation is for companies that have been in operation for less than 3 years. This accreditation is for a period of 1 year, and is subjected to renewal on a yearly basis. The company shall be awarded Provisional Accreditation up to a maximum of Three (3) years, whereupon the company can sought for Full Accreditation.

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What are the criteria for Full Accreditation?

To qualify for Full Accreditation, the applicant must have complied with the following requirements:

1)	The Applicant must have undertaken a minimum of Nine (9) energy audits at Levels II and/or III within the immediate past Three (3) years;
2)	The Applicant shall have under its full-time employment a minimum of One (1) Key Qualified Person, as the main person to oversee, manage and carry out energy auditing services work; and
3)	The Applicant must be equipped with calibrated measuring equipment and instrumentation to carry out energy audit.

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What are the criteria for Provisional Accreditation?

To qualify for Provisional Accreditation, the applicant must have complied with the following requirements:

1)	The Applicant shall have under its full-time employment a minimum of One (1) Key Qualified Person, as the main person to oversee, manage and carry out energy auditing services work; and
2)	The Applicant must be equipped with calibrated measuring equipment and instrumentation to carry out energy audit.

Full Accreditation may be granted after the Applicant has successfully met the required requirements upon the completion of Three (3) years of operation.

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Who are KQPs?

KQPs or Key Qualified Persons are the main persons to oversee, manage and to carry out energy auditing services work.

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What are the criteria for KQP competency?

In order to assess the competency of the KQP, he/she must have satisfied one of the following three (3) criteria:

1)	Person having been qualified as Singapore Certified Energy Manager, SCEM.
2)	Person having a relevant professional qualification, and have Two (2) years of post certification experience under an established certification or accreditation system ( Please refer to Guideline for more details.
3)	Person having a relevant engineering degree and has completed a minimum of Three (3) energy audits at Level III within the immediate past Three (3) years.

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Can a company which is registered in Singapore and which has subsidiary/ies in other countries, use its' overseas experiences in carrying out energy audits and subsequent implementation works and its KQP to qualify for accreditation?

Yes.

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Are there any other criteria or requirements for the Accreditation Assessment?

The other criteria for Accreditation Assessment are as follows:

1)	Performance records on the following aspects of energy efficiency audit/assessment, management and EPC projects: Building/facility energy audits/assessments Energy measurement and verification protocols Installation and project management Post-implementation report of completed projects Records of energy savings achieved (against guaranteed savings where relevant)
2)	Industrial and Workplace Occupational Safety policies and records.
3)	Detailed company work profile.
4)	An acceptable organizational structure and legal entity.
5)	Applicant must be solvent and be backed by sound technical organization.
6)	Range of additional service capabilities, e.g. facility management ( if provided )

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What are the main forms that an Applicant need to submit to the Energy Sustainability Unit?

The main forms that an Applicant needs to submit include the following:

1)	Main Application Form
2)	Key Qualified Person Information Form
3)	Previous Energy Auditing Services Projects Form
4)	List of Equipment and Instruments Form

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What are the additional documents that an Applicant needs to submit together with the application forms?

An Applicant needs to provide additional information as follows:

1)	Management Organization such as details of Director/s, Partner/s, Manager/s and Senior Staff providing names, position, qualification, experience and other firms with whom they are currently associated;
2)	A copy of Business Registration certificate;
3)	Audited Annual financial (profit and loss) statements and balance sheet for the last two (2) years and certified statement of capital net worth;
4)	Details of KQP/s academic/professional qualifications and experiences including up-to-date CV's;
5)	KQP/s membership of professional and/or technical associations;
6)	List of Past projects and customer references including cost/ cost savings achieved (against guaranteed savings).
7)	Any Two (2) energy audit reports as listed on the application for assessment. These reports should be prepared and signed by the KQP/s listed in the application. These documents will be used solely for assessment purposes and will be treated in the strictest confidence. The documents will be returned back to the Applicant once a decision has been reached. Each audit report must be written and signed with the name of the KQP and the name and contact number of the contact person/s of each company audited. The Energy Sustainability Unit may contact this person to verify if the audit/s was/were conducted in a professional manner and carried out by the said KQP/s. All audit reports submitted must have a written clearance and consent from the company audited.

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How is the Accreditation Assessment and Recommendation process carried out?

Upon the receipt of an Application, an assessment will be made to determine the level of compliance with respect to the established guidelines. Applications will be assessed on the basis of the information submitted as well as on the Applicant's expertise, capability and track records in the respective sector(s) of industry and category as indicated in the application.

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Who is assessing the application?

All applications will be reviewed initially by the Energy Sustainability Unit to ensure that the submission documentations are complete. Final assessment and decision on the application will be made by an Accreditation Committee. The list of Committee Members can be accessed by clicking on the following link. (List of ESCO Accreditation Committee)

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How long will it take for the application to be assessed?

It is estimated that the whole process will take about 4 to 6 weeks to be completed after the application had been submitted.Nevertheless,it also depends on the availability of the Accreditation Committee to convene to review and assess the applications.

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How often does the Accreditation Committee meet to review and assess the application?

The Accreditation Committee will meet at least once every 2-3 month to review and assess the application.

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What are the accompanying fees for the Accreditation application?

The fee for Full Accreditation is $2,205.00 whereas the fee for Provisional Accreditation is $735.00. All fees include the provision of 5% GST.

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Will the fees be returned for unsuccessful application?

Yes.

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Will there be any interviews conducted for companies applying for accreditation?

Assessments and recommendations are done by the Accreditation Committee based solely on information submitted. However, should the Accreditation Committee require further clarifications, an interview will be arranged in that effect. Potential KQP/s of the applicant will be called for this purpose.

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Is there an appeal process for unsuccessful applications?

Yes. The company can make an appeal in writing to the Energy Sustainability Unit stating their reason/s and attach supporting documents if applicable.

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What are the obligations expected from the Accredited ESCO?

An Accredited ESCO shall be obliged to inform the Energy Sustainability Unit of any major changes in the company. Such major changes include change of the company's ownership, change of company's financial status, change of organizational structure, and/or movement of its KQP/s.

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Can a company which is registered as a branch in Singapore, register an employee of its' parent company which is based outside Singapore as a KQP?

Yes.However, certain conditions might be required from the company for this criteria such as providing letter of commitment which indicate that the KQP will be fully available to supervised and managed the audit works should it be successfully secured in Singapore.

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Can a company qualify for accreditation if it has been acquired by another company, being sold to another company or has entered into a joint venture with others?

The accreditation does not obstruct nor penalize the company for the abovementioned, as long as:

1)	The intellectual property rights, copyrights, trademark, and key qualified person(s) are transferred to the new company; and
2)	There is no negative impact on the technical and financial capability of the company.

If the applicant has been acquired by another company, being sold to another company or has entered into a joint venture with others for less than Three (3) years when the accreditation application is made, the applicant can be considered for Full Accreditation on the condition that it has been in operation for more than (3) years under its previous business identity.

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Can an Accredited ESCO retain its status if it changes its name after it has been granted accreditation?

Yes. The Accredited ESCO must inform the Energy Sustainability Unit in writing and attached documentary proof of such changes.

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Under what conditions will an Accredited ESCO accreditation be withdrawn or suspended?

An accredited company may have the accreditation withdrawn or suspended for the following reasons:

1)	Failure to complete any EPC or energy audit work;
2)	Complaint(s) are received by Client(s) for poor quality work;
3)	Company is financially insolvent;
4)	Company is being charged with malpractice and/or fraud;
5)	There are major changes to the company's structure and/or person (KQP)

The Energy Sustainability Unit and/or the Accreditation Committee have the right to remove an accredited company from the register and/or temporarily suspend any members on the register for a period deemed appropriate.

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Who to contact for further enquiries?

For further enquiries, please contact the Energy Sustainability Unit at the following address:

Energy Sustainability Unit
Department of Building
School of Design and Environment
National University of Singapore
Block SDE1 #03-05, 4 Architecture Drive
Singapore 117566

Tel: (65) 6516 4082/4083
Fax: (65) 6773 3837
Email: bdgleese@nus.edu.sg, bdgmhs@nus.edu.sg
Website: http://www.esu.com.sg.

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