The ISO 50001 Energy Management System (EnMS) Standard was developed for organizations and businesses committed to addressing their impact, conserving resources and improving the bottom line through efficient energy management. No matter the size or industry this ISO standard provides a practical way to improve energy use, through the development of an energy management system (EnMS). ISO 50001 was developed with consideration of other related standards, such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001, making it easier to integrate energy management into the overall efforts to improve quality and environmental management.
Organizations that are considering implementing the ISO 50001 Environmental Management System should be aware of these key elements of the standard:
• Energy policy – Develop a policy for more efficient use of energy.
• Planning – Research and identify key factors and variables used to measure the improvement.
• Create objectives and energy targets – Align energy conservation targets and goals to meet the policy objectives.
• Energy review – Measure the results & review how well the policy works, and continually improves energy management.
• Energy performance indicators – Normalize energy consumption by any measurable, influencing factor.
• Energy baseline – Regression analysis tools can be used to help establish a normalized baseline of energy consumption.
• Planning – Formulate energy conservation planning and energy utilization status reports to assist with the collection of energy data.
• Support – Establish a systematic and sustainable approach to managing energy usage.
• Operation – Identify ways to optimize equipment and building schedules to improve energy efficiency.
• Performance Evaluation – Developing a mature and practical energy performance evaluation based on the summary and analysis of energy performance methodologies and practices is a key part of promoting and implementing an EnMS successfully.
• Internal Audit Planning and Program – The goal of internal audits is to determine if the management system meets the requirements of the standard and if it has been effectively implemented and maintained. Internal audits will need to be conducted in planned time frames throughout the year.
• Management Review – To ensure a management system’s continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness it should be reviewed by top management to access the possible need for changes to policies, objectives, or any other elements of the management system.
• Improvement – Identify energy reduction opportunities to continuously improve energy-related performance and energy efficiency.
• Nonconformity and corrective action – A thorough root cause analysis should be conducted to ensure corrective actions that address the root symptoms of issues are implemented.
As with all ISO management system standards, ISO 50001 can be implemented solely for the benefits it provides to the organization itself, its stakeholders and its customers. Others pursue certification to show external parties an energy management system has been implemented and meets the standard. To learn more about certification read our article ISO 50001 Energy Management System (EnMS) Certification or contact us to see how ISO Certifications Group and help you meet your ISO 50001 certification goals.
