ISO 50001, an international standard on energy management system, was originally published by the ISO in June 2011.

The ISO 50001 standard offers a systematic framework for organizations to manage energy and provides requirements for a systematic, data driven and facts-based process, focused on improving energy performance.

The standard promotes the adoption of energy management best practices and reinforces good energy management behaviors. 

According to the ISO, the standard could influence up to 60% of the world’s energy use, with broad applicability across national economic sectors.

The ISO 50001 standard was revised and re-issued in August 2018, the changes include the adoption of the high-level structure, improved integration with strategic management processes, stronger emphasis on the role of top management, introduction of the concept of normalization and the energy data collection plan, to name a few. 

Thus the 2018 version takes energy management to the next level by enabling organizations to deliver a strategic approach to managing energy with a greater focus on integrating energy management with the business processes.

By implementing the ISO 50001 requirements, your organization will have a plan for promoting energy efficiency throughout your supply chain by creating transparency and better communication on the management of your energy resources. 

ISO 50001 provides a framework of requirements for organizations to:

• Develop a policy for more efficient use of energy

• Fix targets and objectives to meet the policy

• Use data to better understand and make decisions about energy use

• Measure the results

• Review how well the policy works, and

• Continually improve energy management

Benefits of ISO 50001 Application 

• Reduced energy consumptions

• Improved energy efficiency

• Reduced energy costs and increased savings

• Reduced environmental impacts

• Better use of existing energy-consuming assets

• Facilitates energy management improvements in the context of greenhouse gas emission reduction projects

• Continual improvement in energy performance