ISO 50001 – Energy Management Systems

 

ISO 50001:2011 Energy Management Systems (EnMS) – Requirements with guidance for use is a specification created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), for an energy management system.

The standard specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy management system, whose purpose is to enable an organization to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy security, energy use and consumption. The standard aims to help organizations continually reduce their energy use, and therefore their energy costs and their greenhouse gas emissions.

ISO 50001 was released by ISO in June 2011, and is suitable for any organization – whatever its size, sector or geographical location.

The system is modelled based on the ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) and the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS), but adding the significant feature of improving the «Energy Management System» and the resulting «energy performance». Improving of quality and environmental performance is not described in the ISO 50001 as a requirement.

Organizations of all types and sizes increasingly want to reduce the amount of energy they consume. This is driven by the need or desire to:

  • reduce costs,
  • reduce the impact of rising costs,
  • meet legislative or self-imposed carbon targets,
  • reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and
  • enhance entity’s reputation as a socially responsible organization.

In tandem, governments increasingly want to reduce the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of their citizens and industries, and are imposing legislative mechanisms to compel carbon reduction more and more frequently.

ISO 50001 also drew on existing national and regional energy management codes and standards, including ones developed in China, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, the USA and the European Union.

There are seven major components to ISO 50001:

  • General Requirements:
  • Management Responsibility
  • Energy Policy
  • Energy Action Plan
  • Implementation and Operation
  • Performance Audits
  • Management Review

Swiss Approval International guarantees an accredited certification, giving to Organizations the suitable passport for International market, ensuring with accuracy and independency the principles and rules established by the standard ISO 50001.