ISO 50001
ISO 50001, created by The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), is an international energy management standard designed to help organizations understand their energy systems and improve their energy intensity and efficiency. In pilot programs across the nation, organizations have shown significant energy savings when adhering to the standard.
ISO 50001 is based on the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) model. The PDCA model facilitates continual improvement, a guiding tenet of successful ISO standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The principles of continual improvement help your organization get better with time, which gives organizations the potential for more savings as time goes on.
key benefits
- Assists organizations in making better use of their existing energy-consuming assets
- Offers guidance on benchmarking, measuring, documenting, and reporting energy intensity improvements and their projected reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
- Creates transparency and facilitate communication on the management of energy resources
- Assists facilities in evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies
- Provides a framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the supply chain
- Facilitates energy management improvements for greenhouse gas emission reduction projects
- Allows integration with other organization management systems such as environment and health & safety
The History of ISO 50001
In March 2007, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) hosted a meeting in recognition of industry’s need to mount an effective response against climate change. This meeting included representatives from the ISO Central Secretariat and nations that have adopted energy management standards. That meeting led to submission of a request to the ISO Central Secretariat to consider working on an international energy management standard. Since then, ISO has identified energy management as one of the top five fields for development of International Standards.
In February 2008, ISO formed the project committee ISO/PC 242 to begin developing an international energy management standard. This energy management committee developed what became the ISO 50001 standard with input from 59 countries, 14 of which were observers. The Department of Energy (DoE) and US CEEM actively contributed to the U.S. Technical Advisory Group, which led negotiations to ensure that ISO 50001 kept the U.S. emphasis on data-driven energy performance and management support.
After 4 meetings of the project committee, ISO announced the 50001 standard on June 17th, 2011. “Energy is no longer a technical issue but a management issue with an impact on the bottom line, and the time to address the issue is now,” said ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele. Now, organizations in the U.S. and around the world have a framework to optimize their energy use from both a management and technical perspective.
Who Benefits?
ISO has designed the standard to apply to any organization, large or small, in any industry. ISO 50001’s one focus on continual improvement means that your energy management system does not have to be mature at the time of certification, but it must get better with time. Organization’s can start creating an energy management system with the energy data they have, no matter how basic the data is.
Some industries that may especially benefit from ISO 50001 certification are manufacturing, hotels, theater, and airports. In fact, the International Energy Agency has stated that the “manufacturing industry can improve its energy efficiency by an impressive 18 to 26%.”
To look at it another way – if your organization uses large amounts of energy, there are cost savings to be realized. Certification to ISO 50001 can get your there.
Why Choose Perry Johnson Registrations Ltd. (PJR UK)?
With over 25 years of experience in certification services, PJR is a trusted partner for organizations internationally. Our team of customer service experts and skilled auditors work closely with clients to understand their unique needs. We provide tailored solutions to assist you achieve certification efficiently and effectively. In addition, we are committed to helping your business improve quality, enhance customer satisfaction, and open new market opportunities.
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