This is good news for the environment; OC2 Consultants is organizing an ADEME national training program in June—for the second time in Martinique—for technical representatives from energy-intensive companies in the industrial, healthcare, retail, and service sectors, as well as local governments.
For the past 20 years, OC2 Consultants has been providing consulting, auditing, and training services to companies in Martinique and Guadeloupe, and more broadly, assisting with business organization in the areas of quality management, health and safety, hygiene, as well as environmental and energy issues. This team of twelve consultants serves all sectors of activity in tThree specific areas of focus related to sustainable development
- Regional studies (for the evaluation and direction of public policy): energy, local food systems, waste, circular economy,
- Energy: Audits, Project Management Support, Technical Support, Consulting, Training, ISO 50001 Certification
- Environment: audits, project management support, consulting, training, ISO 14001 certification, carbon footprint assessment
- Through its expertise, this firm helps businesses and local governments gradually become more aware of environmental issues and comply with environmental standards, with effects that impact the daily lives of the general public..His expertise covers most of the major current issues related to sustainable development in society: energy transition and energy conservation, promoting local supply chains, the circular economy, waste prevention, carbon footprint assessments, and more…
In recent years, he has worked in particular on short supply chains in the agricultural sector (Chamber of Agriculture) and the on-site valorization of products (Halle Technologique, CAPEX), the circular economy of waste (CODEC CACEM), and a study on the circular economy in Martinique for ADEME. He is the author of several studies on energy consumption in public housing and the service sector, as well as a project titled «Platform for Energy-Efficient Housing Renovation.».
In addition, OC2 Consultants guides companies through the ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 certification processes and helps them achieve environmental self-sufficiency with the implementation of «energy management systems» and «environmental management systems.». This firm was tasked with evaluating the Sustainable Banana Plan for Martinique and Guadeloupe.
«Saving energy in the workplace is now both an economic necessity and an environmental imperative...»
«Give yourself the tools to achieve substantial energy savings!» That's what the upcoming DEREFEI training course offers (FROMto come REFdifferent Eenergy in I(Industry), recognized by ADEME at the national level and organized by OC2 Consultant on June 4, 5, and 6 in Martinique. It is intended for all facilities that are «heavy consumers» of energy in all its forms.Its mission is to provide companies« technical advisors with the skills needed to »better understand energy-related challenges, characteristics, and uses” so that energy management can be truly integrated into the company’s overall management.
Laurent Guinaudy, founder from OC2 Consultants explains the challenges involved in this type of training: « »Our 20 years of experience have shown us that, overall, teams are always motivated and proud to work toward making their company more environmentally friendly."
Martinique 2030: This is the second training program of this kind that you’ve organized. What feedback have you received from the first one in terms of energy savings and environmental awareness?
Laurent Guinaudy: In fact, we organized this training program in 2017 in Guadeloupe and Martinique for a diverse group of engineers and technicians from various industries. The purpose of this training is to provide the key players in energy management within companies (who are appropriately referred to as «energy coordinators») with the essential skills to:
– implement measurement campaigns for various «energy uses» that will enable an accurate assessment of energy consumption
– Identify the key issues to guide decision-making regarding the actions to be taken
– Implement these measures: changes to the internal organization, internal communication to encourage changes in user behavior, adjusting energy-intensive equipment, seeking alternative technical solutions that consume less energy, etc.
– and track performance over time
While the challenges and action steps vary from company to company, the initial feedback has consistently been very encouraging. Depending on the company and its progress in the project, energy savings range from % to 30 %.
M2030: What types of companies have implemented solutions, and which ones?
LG: In particular, companies in the food and beverage, healthcare, and retail sectors. These sectors are, in fact, very energy-intensive
– Health: air conditioning, lighting, kitchen, laundry, etc.
– Food and beverage industry: industrial refrigeration, steam, compressed air, lighting, processing, transportation, etc.
– Retail (especially food retail): industrial refrigeration, air conditioning, lighting, etc.
All participating companies have already implemented a series of initiatives, starting with detailed measurement campaigns, raising awareness among staff and users, optimizing tools for «centralized management of buildings and technical systems,» the search for more efficient equipment, the protection of buildings from solar radiation, improved maintenance, etc.
We also work in the commercial, residential, and public housing sectors on both new construction and renovation projects. The challenges in this sector are also significant and can be addressed through an innovative technical approach that we have been mastering for the past two years. This approach is known as «STD» (or Dynamic Thermal Simulation of Buildings), which allows us to simulate energy savings based on specific building features: orientation, landscaping of the surrounding area, size and characteristics of windows and doors, solar shading, insulation, colors and building materials, types of cladding, air circulation and natural ventilation, etc.
Every situation is unique, and there are many opportunities; the key is to have all the relevant information at your disposal to make the right decisions. That is precisely where our firm’s added value lies.
M 2030: You specialize in training, auditing, and consulting for businesses in the field of sustainable development, particularly in the implementation of environmental management systems. In your opinion, have companies in Martinique fully grasped the challenges involved in protecting the environment? Or are they simply entering the «sustainable development» system because they are forced to by regulations?
LG: Awareness is important and is steadily gaining ground. Media coverage of the most forward-thinking players—such as nonprofit organizations, eco-friendly businesses, certain traditional companies with leaders committed to these issues, and government agencies—and their growing number of initiatives is truly driving progress for society as a whole… but we must acknowledge that regulation remains a powerful means of pressuring those who are lagging behind!
Furthermore, our experience in leading the two recent fact-finding missions on the circular economy in Martinique has shown us that the region faces significant structural and organizational constraints and that we must redouble our efforts in the coming years.
M 2030: Within companies, are teams motivated by the prospect of changing their behavior toward the environment in their work?
LG: Our 20 years of experience have shown us that, overall, teams are always motivated and proud to work toward making their company more environmentally friendly… But for that to happen, they need to feel genuine motivation from their leadership, have the means to understand the issues, risks, and opportunities, be involved in the decision-making process, and be given an explanation of why change is necessary.
M 2030: Are companies beginning to consider making their equipment energy-independent—through solar systems, for example?
LG: Yes, absolutely. More and more companies are taking action on this issue and are considering or already implementing alternative energy solutions. These include, in particular, photovoltaic power generation—whether or not combined with storage solutions that are now much more efficient—solar water heating, and waste heat recovery. These solutions can be difficult to size correctly, and our preliminary energy studies are essential for making the right decision. And let’s not forget that it’s essential to save energy before generating green electricity!
Interview by Nathalie Laulé
Laurent GUINAUDY OC2 Consultants
Consulting, Auditing, and Training in General Organization, Performance Improvement, Management Quality Safety Environment Hygiene Energy
- Cell: 0696 27 22 12, Phone: 0596 30 09 39, www.oc2consultants.com
- Headquarters: Centre La Frégate, ZAC de Manithy, 97232 Le Lamentin
