Efficient energy saving for businesses with ISO 50001

29 June 2018  |  Energy  |  Green Element  |  Leave a comment

The updated version of the Energy Management System ISO 50001:2018 is due to be released at the end of this year. This energy management system framework allows your business to achieve energy savings while improving your operational efficiencies.

ISO 50001 is a framework that sets out a systematic approach for the improvement of energy performance within an organisation. There are several changes that have been made to the 2011 version to bring the standard in line with the needs and changes of today’s business environments.

High-level structure for a better compatibility

The biggest improvement is the incorporation of the ‘high-level structure’, providing improved compatibility with other standards. This will allow an ‘integrated management system’ that complies with the requirements of multiple management system standards simultaneously such as 9001 and 14001.

Other changes include normalisation of environmental performance indicators (EnPIs) and associated energy baselines (EnB), clarification on the requirements of the energy data collection plan, and a general focus on ensuring the key concepts related to energy performance are clear and accessible for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

ISO 50001 allows a structure to work towards improved energy management. An organisation that is certified to this standard will follow the following approach:

• Creating a company policy for more efficient use of energy
• Implementing targets and objectives to meet the policy
• Analysing data to make decisions about energy use
• Measuring your results
• Review and continual improvement

Benefits of Certification to ISO 50001

Establishments of all sizes and sectors can benefit from introducing an Energy Management System. Internal drivers from various functions that will see positive outcomes include operations, corporate social responsibility, financial and strategic.Through implementing an Energy Management System under the ISO 50001 framework, organisations can see benefits in the following areas:

• Environmental: Analysis from the Clean Energy Ministerial shows that implementation of the ISO 50001 standard across the commercial and industrial sectors globally could drive total energy savings of approximately 6 500 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2030 – the equivalent of removing 215 million cars from the road.
• Cost: Through comprehensive analysis of how much energy is being used, at what time and where, organisations can pinpoint areas to reduce consumption, therefore saving money. Regents University London is an example of an organisation that has made major improvements to their energy use and environmental practices through implementing management systems.
• Compliance: A requirement of the standard is that all compliance and legal obligations are monitored and met, reducing the chance of breaches to legislation. One very valuable example is that businesses who fall under the UK’s Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) will not need to undertake the assessment process if their business is certified to ISO 50001.
• Reputation: Companies reporting their environmental performance externally can benefit from a reduction in carbon emissions through the amount of energy used. The certification to this or other standards can act as a competitive advantage during tenders and is increasingly becoming a requirement. If your business has concern over energy cost or is interested in reducing your carbon footprint, please contact Green Element to see how we can help.