With the growing impact of climate change, and increasing economic pressures on organisations of all shapes and sizes, more and more companies are looking at ways to reduce their environmental impact but also to cut down on expenses and the cost of doing business. One way of achieving both these goals – improving environmental performance and saving money is to become more energy efficient and so lower energy bills. Opportunities to identify where energy costs can be reduced can be determined in a number of ways, and finding the best way for a business to cut back depends on a number of different factors – and this is where ISO 50001 come in to its own.
To help organisations who are actively seeking ways to cut back on energy usage the International Organization of Standardization has developed an actionable plan that focuses on energy management, it is called ISO 50001 – Energy Management System.
What is ISO 50001 all about?
ISO 50001 is a standardised framework that includes requirements for establishing an effective energy management system. By following the guidelines any business large or small should be able to create a plan that will help it reach its goals of reducing energy consumption and lowering its overall energy costs.
The ISO system provides a framework or guide that makes it possible for the organisation to tailor the framework to fit in with the operations of the business. The standards that are built into the system are designed to help any and all businesses reduce their energy consumption, which in turn should lead to reduced operating costs and help to lower greenhouse gas emissions – a truly win-win scenario.
Specific requirements of ISO 50001
ISO 50001 has a number of specific requirements or objectives for any organisation that adopts the standard which are:
- Improved energy efficiency.
- Improved energy security.
- Reduce energy usage.
- Reduce energy consumption.
Why should you consider ISO 50001?
The main objective of the ISO 50001 standard is to help an organisation do a better job of managing its energy, and to reduce its energy costs year-in year out. Using the guidelines that are included in this management framework any business large, medium or small should be able to identify those areas that offer opportunities for energy efficiency improvement and so achieve reductions in energy consumption and cost.
Using an already tried-and-tested approach is one of the most effective ways to identify those areas ripe for improvement, and then develop the best ways to implement the necessary changes. The benefits of implementing ISO 50001 can be significant and can include:
- Reduced energy costs.
- Noticeable impact of the lower energy costs.
- Satisfy regulatory and internal targets on carbon emissions.
- Reduce the need for fossil fuels.
- Improve the organisations reputation as a socially responsible business.
World-class energy management frameworks
Quality Management Systems deliver a comprehensive range of world-class energy management, auditing, training and OHS software solutions to organisations wishing to reduce their energy consumption, become more energy efficient and so reduce energy costs.
If you would like to learn more about our energy management solutions, and how we can help you develop world-class management processes please get in touch today.
Further reading…
More information about the ISO 50001 … here →