ISO 50001 - Energy Management

ISO 50001 Energy Management certification is a powerful sustainability statement 

Released by ISO in June 2011, ISO 50001 is a standard that specifies how businesses and other organisations should establish, implement, maintain and improve an energy management system (EnMS). Like all ISO management standards, ISO 50001 is a voluntary standard that can be applied to all types of non-domestic public and private sector energy users – including SMEs.

Continual improvement in energy performance

An Energy Management System (EnMS) helps organisations take a systematic approach to achieving a continual improvement in energy performance, but in order to be effective an EnMS needs a customised approach in order to avoid unnecessary workload. However, the benefits are varied and can include:

• Identifying and managing the risks surrounding your future energy supply
• Demonstrating environmental credentials to increase new sales opportunities
• Measuring and monitoring energy use to identify where to improve efficiency
• Improving overall performance to cut energy consumption and bills
• Reducing carbon emissions and meet government reduction targets

ISO 50001 certification can also be a route to compliance with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).

An EnMS is suitable for any organisation. It doesn’t matter whether your organisation operates from a single site or several – an EnMS can be worked across all of them.

The benefits of ISO 50001 certification

ISO 50001 certification is a real statement of your sustainability credentials. It will enhance your credibility when tendering for contracts, improve your energy efficiency, and could result in tangible financial benefits. It can also help you reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet any ESOS, EU ETS, EPBD and CRC commitments you may have.

We can:

• Implement your EnMS as a whole system tailored to your organisation, with achievable targets set and regular reviews.
• Help you implement and understand your EnMS, putting processes in place and working towards the certification process.

Thorough Gap Analysis

Before your organisation pursues certification, we will perform a thorough Gap Analysis. We will analyse your current energy management strategy and any existing management systems, comparing them with the ISO 50001 standards. This will help you understand the steps your business should take in order to achieve certification. We will also work with you define your organisational boundaries and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your current approach to energy management, detailing the actions required to close any operational or system gaps.

Once the Gap Analysis has been completed we will explain the best way to close the gaps and help you work towards certification.

Energy review and full report

This is an important step in the pursuit of ISO 50001 certification. As part of our service, we will carry out an energy review (or a series of energy reviews) and produce a report detailing energy use and consumption across the organisational boundaries identified in the Gap Analysis. The report will also define your significant energy use and identify, prioritise and record opportunities for improving energy performance. Your energy baselines will be used to develop appropriate energy consumption projections and, through analysis of the data, Energy Performance indicators will be identified to enable tracking of performance against targets.

Development of the ISO 50001 Energy Management System

In this final step and through a combination of desktop work and site visits, Utilitywise Lead Auditors will develop an ISO 50001 Energy Management System tailored to your business. Our expert Lead Assessors will:

• Help you to become more energy efficient – which can save you money
• Provide you with essential guidance and support to make life simpler for you
• Ease the burdens that devising an EnMS may bring, so you have more time to concentrate on your business
• Interpret the standard for you and avoid confusion
• Provide you with peace of mind and reassurance that you have a robust and effective EnMS

Utilitywise Lead Assessors have an excellent track record, so you can be sure that your organisation is in safe hands.

What are ISO standards?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer of International Standards. ISO has published more than 19,500 International Standards, which provide specifications for everything from information security to food safety management. Meeting an International Standard reassures consumers that products and services are safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Find out more at their website.

Related accreditation:

ISO 14001 Environmental Management System – In addition to the ISO 50001, is the ISO 14001 which is set out to provide a framework for a holistic, systematic and strategic approach to the organisation’s environmental policy, plans and actions. In addition to meeting the ISO 14001 requirements, it will strengthen stakeholder confidence, offers your business a competitive advantage, provides a secure long-term viability and overall environmental awareness vision for employees and for your customers.