ISO 50001 Energy Management System (EnMS)

ISO 50001 Energy Management

  Expert energy management & IS0 50001 certification solutions.

Quality Management Systems is a leading UK environmental process and ISO 50001 energy management system (EnMS) specialist. We deliver cutting-edge business solutions that include the development, implementation and certification of energy management frameworks using ISO 50001; auditing, training courses and EnMS software solutions to organisations throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.

Our energy management specialists help clients develop practical EnMS frameworks that can be implemented quickly to deliver rapid results but also create solid foundations for ongoing improvement. Our tailor made frameworks are built around the specific requirements of our clients, integrating seamlessly with their existing processes to improve energy efficiency and achieve ISO 50001 certification quickly and efficiently.

By focusing on the needs of your organisation our consultants work rapidly to develop a clear understanding of what you do, how you use energy resources, and your energy usage targets and future objectives. With this knowledge our specialists can then work to ensure existing energy management processes are clearly identified, evaluated and then further developed to improve energy efficiency, reduce cost, lower carbon emissions, improve regulatory compliance and minimise environmental impact. Our cost efficient EnMS frameworks are simple and easy to use, can be deployed rapidly and are proven to deliver significant benefits.

If you would like to learn more about our ISO 50001 based EnMS frameworks and how we can help you develop world-class energy management systems please get in touch today.

Benefits of ISO 50001 Energy Management

QMS develop tailor made energy management systems based on the management standard ISO 50001 that are proven to reduce energy consumption and save money… but that’s not all, they also deliver a number of additional benefits including:

  • Save Money

    Manage how you use your energy to become more efficient and so reduce costs.

  • Energy risk

    Mitigate the risks associated with your future energy supplies.

  • Energy Awareness

    Clearly identify how you use your energy, and how much you use to improve awareness at all levels.

  • Get More from What You Have

    Use your existing systems including plant and equipment more efficiently to get immediate energy savings.

  • Invest in Energy Efficiency

    Review potential investment in new, more energy efficient systems and equipment.

  • Reduce carbon emissions

    Reduce your carbon emissions to improve environmental performance.

  • Understand energy usage

    Analyse your energy usage to identify opportunities for improvement.

  • Build Credibility

    Build credibility in your markets with a recognised management standard.

UK & International Capabilities

Our specialist energy frameworks are delivered by experienced consultants who combine their expertise with practical know-how across their specialist areas to deliver real improvements.

Our offices are located in London and Manchester and these are further supported by regional teams of specially trained process management and standards implementation specialists who deliver expert advice and support solutions to meet the highest standards of performance expected by our clients.

Contact Quality Management Systems today to learn how our energy management systems implementation and accreditation solutions can help you achieve a practical framework that improves energy efficiency, reduces cost, lowers carbon emissions, improves regulatory compliance, minimises environmental impact and achieves ISO 50001 certification quickly and efficiently. To speak with one of our experts call us on 0330 223 25 85 or simply use the button below to get our full contact details or submit our contact form.

What is an Energy Management System or EnMS?

More and more businesses are looking for ways to become more efficient to save energy while still performing well and achieving other performance targets. To get the best results, organisations should ideally adopt a recognised energy management system or EnMS.

The world standard for energy management is ISO 50001. This standard was developed as a specification by the International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) and published for the first time in June 2011. It provides a blueprint for an energy management system that can be used in all organisations, businesses, and workplaces.

What is Energy Management?

Everyone is familiar with energy efficiency – making the best use of whatever energy resources we have at our disposal. Energy management is however subtly different, it focuses on several key elements common to businesses and organisations of all types, sizes and structures:

  • Striving to meet the best energy efficiency levels and targets

  • Continually seeking to improve its environmental performance

  • Reducing carbon emissions

  • Optimising energy performance

  • Saving money

  • Meeting environmental targets

The Principles of Energy Management

Energy management can best be described as a management framework that encompasses a series of key principles. These principles must be understood and adopted by an organisation if it is to achieve the best results.

Some of the main principles to be considered when adopting the ISO50001 energy management system include:

  • Energy Data

    Tracking data relating to energy usage helps organisations to understand where energy is being used, potentially wasted, and where efficiency improvements may be made.

  • Improved Asset Management

    Managing your existing plant and equipment to ensure it operates at optimum efficiency is vital. It is also important to review the energy savings that could be made with investment in new installations.

  • Planned & Preventative Maintenance

    Regular and preventative maintenance helps to ensure equipment, processes and systems are working efficiently, and energy is not being wasted through poorly-performing machinery.

  • The Need for Investment

    Consider the balance between the appropriate use of existing equipment, processes and systems, and investing in newer, more energy-efficient assets.

  • Review & Make Improvements

    Once performance evaluation is complete, improvements to existing energy processes can be identified and implemented. Improvements can be measured against set targets and regularly evaluated. This stage is essential to ensure continuous improvement can be achieved.

The beauty of ISO 50001 and its key principles is that they can be applied to organisations of all sizes and structures, across all industry sectors. The flexibility of the EnMS also means that it can be easily tailored to suit individual organisations and their own energy management objectives.

Why Implement an ISO 50001 Energy Management System?

By adopting ISO 50001 in your organisation, you are assured of following a recognised framework that is already working for numerous other businesses worldwide. This is far from the only benefit, however:

  • Save money

    ISO 50001 is an internationally recognised standard that helps organisations focus on the use and management of its energy. This in turn can lead to efficiencies and ongoing cost savings.

  • Energy risk

    How will your future energy needs be met? Where will the energy come from and are these sources sustainable? The standard helps organisations address these questions to identify and manage the risks associated with future energy supplies.

  • Enhanced awareness of energy usage

    If as an organisation you are not sure how much energy you use, or how it is used, ISO 50001 will help you identify both these factors to improve awareness at all levels. Raised energy awareness can also have positive, knock-on effects in other areas as well.

  • Improve Efficiency of Existing Processes

    Understand how existing processes, systems, plant and equipment can be used to save energy by using them more efficiently. Using your existing equipment, processes and systems more efficiently can lead to immediate energy savings.

  • Investment in Better Processes

    Understand how investment in better equipment and processes could be used to save even more energy. It’s not simply about making the best of what you have; it’s also about seeing where appropriate and worthwhile investment in better energy processes, plant, equipment and systems could be made.

  • Reduce carbon emissions

    Whether you have legal requirements to meet in this area or not, it is good for business to show you care about the environment and are working hard to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions.

  • Understand your Data

    Gain a greater understanding of your energy usage and data. ISO 50001 enables organisations to analyse their energy usage yo find better ways to move forward.

  • Enhanced reputation

    Build significant credibility in your market and beyond with an internationally recognised management standard.

Implementing an Energy Management Policy

Perhaps most importantly, following the framework of ISO 50001 means you can implement an energy management policy in to your organisation, perhaps more easily than you may have thought. This will help you to:

  • Strive for better energy usage

  • Set targets that help you stick to your policy
  • Collect data to ensure your energy management policy is on track

  • Collect results you can measure

  • Focus on continual improvement

Energy Management and ISO 50001

ISO 50001 was published for the first time in June 2011 with the aim of improving energy management in organisations irrespective of size, sector or geography. It is very similar in its structure to both ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 14001 the environmental management system, all three being built around the Plan-Do-Act-Check cycle.

Plan – Do – Check – Act

While both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 seek to improve quality and environmental performance, neither currently make it a specific requirement. However, ISO 50001 is different in its approach in that it makes specific reference to improvements in the energy management system, and significantly it calls for improvements in energy performance as well.

This means that organisations adopting ISO50001 must demonstrate that they have improved their energy performance. While no performance targets are set in the standard, organisations are left to create their own and then develop an action plan that will allow them to reach them.

Using the international standard for energy management means you know you are using a system that is already working across the world. Everyone from the smallest sole trader operating a part-time business to an organisation employing thousands of people worldwide can make use of ISO 50001.

The system is scalable, thus working with all businesses in all industries and areas. It gives you an established format to follow to ensure you can create a workable energy management system for your business. It also gives you numerous benefits, as we have seen above, and you will know every area is catered for.

If you apply for ISO 50001 certification, it puts your business ahead of those that do not have this certification. This is a significant benefit because it means you can develop your credibility and strengthen your brand, using this as a key driver in doing so. Many people want to do business with those who show they care about the impact they are having on the environment. If you can prove your business is energy efficient, and that you are doing everything possible to manage your energy usage and emissions, it may win you more business than you would think.

What’s the Difference between ISO 14001 and ISO 50001?

Comparing the two standards you will find that ISO 14001 takes a more general, qualitative approach to managing an organisations impact on its environment. On the other hand, ISO50001 follows a more detailed, quantitative approach, focusing on energy performance improvement against specified targets. This type of target-setting approach can sometimes help organisations to focus on specific energy improvement metrics which can result in beneficial cost savings.

ISO 14001 is used successfully by organisations the world over to improve their environmental performance and energy management. However, where energy forms a significant cost to an organisation ISO 50001 can potentially offer a better, more specific framework to manage and improve its energy performance.

How is ISO 50001 Structured?

ISO 50001 is very similar in its structure to other popular ISO management standards including ISO 9001 (QMS) and ISO 14001 (EMS). All three use the Plan-Do-Check-Act or PDCA cycle which means that if an organisation is already operating either or both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, integrating ISO50001 in to their existing management processes is made easier.

The standard is made up of seven major sections that include:

  • General Requirements
  • Management Responsibility
  • Energy Policy
  • Energy Action Plan
  • Implementation and Operation
  • Performance Audits
  • Management Review

Implementing ISO 50001

Reading about ISO 50001 and energy management is very different from implementing it. The good news is ISO 50001 has been designed to fit every business type and size, no matter what you do or where in the world you are.

However, implementing this standard may still be daunting, which is why it is good to know QMS can help. Developing an energy management system in accordance with ISO50001 takes time, but it means you can be certain you are doing everything possible to achieve the best results.

We can assist in putting together an energy management plan that focuses on your existing business systems and facilities. The focus will be on developing policies and procedures for managing energy use within your organisation. This can also be adjusted once in place, to account for changes in the organisation and the potential for investment in new, more energy-efficient equipment, plant and machinery.

It takes time to implement this energy management standard, but this is time that is required if you aim to achieve the best outcome. ISO 50001 provides a solid framework that can be relied upon to make the whole process easier and more logical than it may otherwise be. Planning, executing, and checking all parts of the implementation procedure will guarantee the best results are achieved. Your organisation will benefit from implementing ISO 50001, and adopting an energy management system that is good for you, for your organisation, the environment, and for your customers and brand, too.

Get Expert Energy Management Support

Contact Quality Management Systems today to discuss your energy management and ISO 50001 standards requirements. Our experts can provide practical, cost efficient solutions and support covering all aspects of ISO50001 (and ISO 14001) including framework development and implementation, certification, auditing and EnMS training… all tailored to meet the needs of your organisation.

With offices in London and Manchester, supported by regional teams of specially trained management and standards implementation specialists we can deliver straight-forward, value-adding EnMS frameworks developed to your management of energy.

Contact QMS today for more information about our EnMS frameworks and support solutions, or for your FREE, no obligation quote.

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Further reading…

More information about energy management systems and ISO 50001 … here →