ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard

The International Standards Organization (ISO) is developing a guideline for energy management known as 50001 which will be published in the third quarter 2011. ISO 50001 is designed to help organizations improve their energy performance, increase energy efficiency and reduce climate change impacts.

ISO has identified energy management as a priority area meriting the development and promotion of international standards. Effective energy management is a priority focus because of the significant potential to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide.

The new energy guideline establish a framework for energy management systems for buildings, industrial plants, commercial facilities and utilities. ISO 50001’s broad applicability across national economic sectors, it is estimated that the standard could influence up to 60 percent of the world’s energy use.

ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard is based on the common elements found in all of ISO’s management system standards. It is entirely compatibility with ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management).

ISO 50001 will provide a framework for integrating energy efficiency into management practices. It will make better use of existing energy-consuming assets, as well as provide benchmarking, measuring, documenting, and reporting of energy intensity improvements and their projected impact on reductions in GHG emissions

ISO 50001 will provide energy management best practices and good energy management behaviors. It will also supports transparency and communication on the management of energy resources. Evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies are important part of the framework that also promotes energy efficiency throughout the supply chain and energy management improvements in the context of GHG emission reduction projects.

ISO 50001 is being developed by ISO project committee ISO/PC 242, Energy management, whose Chair, Edwin Piñero, has said of the new series of guidelines, “Everyday, organizations all over the world deal with issues such as energy supply availability, reliability, climate change, and resource depletion. A critical element in addressing these issues is how effectively an organization manages its energy use.”

“ISO 50001 provides a proven model that helps organizations systematically plan and manage their energy use. With a strong focus on performance and continual improvement, ISO 50001 will contribute to enhanced energy efficiency and prudent energy use. An extremely high level of consensus drove our committee’s fast progress toward publication – proof that the world needs and wants this standard.”

Roland Risser, Chair of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO/PC 242, and Manager of the Building Technologies Program at the U.S. Department of Energy, underlines that, “This new International Standard provides the structural framework for commercial and industrial companies to continually improve their energy intensity – saving money, improving competitiveness and reducing pollution. When companies can link efficiency to profitability, that’s a win-win.”