ISO 50001 is designed to support organizations in all sectors. This ISO standard provides a practical way to improve energy use, through the development of an energy management system (EnMS). The purpose of this international standard is to enable organizations to establish systems and processes that are necessary to improve energy performance, including energy efficiency, use of energy and energy consumption.

What is an energy management system?

An energy management system helps organizations better manage their energy use, thus improving productivity. It involves developing and implementing an energy policy, setting achievable targets for energy use, and designing action plans to reach them and measure progress. This might include implementing new energy-efficient technologies, reducing energy waste or improving current processes to cut energy costs.

ISO 50001 gives organizations a recognized framework for developing an effective energy management system. The standard is based on the common elements of ISO management system standards in order to guarantee a high degree of compatibility, particularly with the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. It is based upon the continual improvement process, which is known as the PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act), and integrates energy management in the organization’s daily business.

ISO 50001:2018 aims to reduce energy consumption, to increase energy efficiency and to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. This results in immediate energy cost reductions and therefore a boost in profits.