ISO 50001:2018
ISO 50001:2018 – Energy Management
ISO 50001:2018 (SR EN ISO 50001:2019 – Romanian standard) specifies the requirements for an energy management system and can be implemented in any type of organization, regardless of size, structure, products or services offered, being applicable to activities controlled by organization that influences energy performance. The application of the ISO 50001 standard in two similar organizations can be different depending on the organizational context.
ISO 50001 specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continuously improving an energy management system taking into account the context of the organization (different compliance obligations, different commitments in energy policies, different energy objectives and targets, quantities or types of energy used, operational risks and responsibilities, restrictions or limitations regarding energy supply, the effects of climatic, meteorological changes, etc.) and the associated risks and opportunities. In order to develop the business in the long term, energy management must be integrated into business management.
The stated purpose of the standard is that of a continuous improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. By improving energy performance and reducing energy-related costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, organizations become more competitive, contributing to reducing the effects of global climate change and to the environmental pillar of sustainable development. Other expected results of the implementation of the energy management system are the improvement of reliability and the increased use of renewable energy sources.
The energy performance approach (concept related to energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption) promoted by ISO 50001 results in obtaining efficient and measurable results over time by taking into account performance indicators (IPE) and reference levels of energy (NRE).
ISO 50001 promotes the implementation of the leadership principle and the adoption of risk-based thinking. Top management that has global responsibility must emphasize the importance of energy management through communication and employee involvement (through training, motivation, recognition of merits, performance or participation). Through actions to address the risks and opportunities identified in relation to its context, the organization can anticipate potential scenarios and consequences and treat unwanted effects before they occur, or exploit potential advantages and beneficial results.
Improvements
The standard also emphasizes the performance of a energy analyses which consists in identifying the types of energy, evaluating the use of energy and the energy used to determine the areas of significant use of energy (USE) and identify opportunities to improve energy performance.
ISO 50001, structured according to the PDCA Cycle („Plan-Do-Check-Act”), promotes the adoption of the process-based approach for the effective documentation, implementation and improvement of the energy management system. The procedural approach involves the systematic definition and management of all the processes in the organization and the interactions between the processes in order to fulfill the organization's objectives in accordance with the energy policy.
The EN ISO 50001:2018 standard (SR EN ISO 50001:2019 – Romanian standard) has brought important changes compared to the previous edition, its structure and adopted terminology being in accordance with Annex SL of the ISO Directives – High Level Structure which makes the integration with other management systems (environment, quality, etc.) much easier.