ISO 50001

The standard specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy management system, whose purpose is to enable an organization to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy security, energy use and consumption. The standard aims to help organizations continually reduce their energy use, and therefore their energy costs and their greenhouse gas emissions.

ISO 50001:2011 specifies requirements applicable to energy use and consumption, including measurement, documentation and reporting, design and procurement practices for equipment, systems, processes and personnel that contribute to energy performance.

ISO 50001:2011 applies to all variables affecting energy performance that can be monitored and influenced by the organization. ISO 50001:2011 does not prescribe specific performance criteria with respect to energy.

ISO 50001:2011 has been designed to be used independently, but it can be aligned or integrated with other management systems.

ISO 50001:2011 is applicable to any organization wishing to ensure that it conforms to its stated energy policy and wishing to demonstrate this to others, such conformity being confirmed either by means of self-evaluation and self-declaration of conformity, or by certification of the energy management system by an external organization.

Using energy efficiently helps organizations save money as well as helping to conserve resources and tackle climate change. ISO 50001 supports organizations in all sectors to use energy more efficiently, through the development of an energy management system (EnMS).

ISO 50001 is based on the management system model of continual improvement also used for other well-known standards such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001. This makes it easier for organizations to integrate energy management into their overall efforts to improve quality and environmental management.