ISO 50001 is a standard of the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) published in 2011. ISO 50001 was the first international
standard for systematic energy management intended to help companies identify
potential savings, reduce energy consumption and initiate a continuous
energy-related improvement process. The ISO 50001:2018 revision further
improved the structure and terminology of the standard. Like the quality and
environmental management ISO standards, the energy management standard is now
based on the High Level Structure (HLS). 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. An energy management
system is a series of processes that enables people of varied responsibilities
across an organization to use data and information to maintain and improve
energy performance, while improving operational efficiencies, decreasing energy
intensity, and reducing environmental impacts. This might include implementing
new energy-efficient technologies, reducing energy waste or improving current
processes to cut energy costs. This makes it much easier for companies to
combine various standards and integrate them with systematic energy management.
ISO 50001 is a voluntary International
Standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
to provide organizations an internationally recognized framework to manage and
improve their energy performance. The standard addresses the following:
- Energy
use and consumption
- Measurement,
documentation, and reporting of energy use and consumption
- Design
and procurement practices for energy-using equipment, systems, and
processes
- Development
of an energy management plan and other factors affecting energy
performance that can be monitored and influenced by the organization.
ISO 50001 does require continual energy performance improvement but it does not include prescriptive energy performance improvement goals. Rather, it provides a framework through which each organization can set and pursue its own goals for improving energy performance. Systematic energy management according to ISO 50001 can offer you a whole range of advantages:
• Detailed breakdown of energy consumption in the company
• Identification of potential savings in the energy sector
• Higher economic efficiency due to lower energy consumption
• Competitive advantages through higher efficiency and lower energy costs
• Reduction of CO2 emissions
• Positive image of your company with partners, customers, and the general public
• Stronger awareness of energy efficiency among employees and management
• Conformity with energy policy
Conclusion
Energy management starts with a vision and is then translated to a strategy and completed with objectives. An extensive data monitoring system is helpful in case the operation is complex like in a mill and it helps if the operation is used to use ISO or similar systems. The system makes your energy management sustainable and helps you to prioritize. The pre ISO 50001 energy management of the Nijmegen mill shows that this approach works, large savings with small investments are possible.
User questions & answers