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ISO 50001 energy management standard targeted for publication in 3Q2011

March 18, 2011 | By Anthony Capkun


March 17, 2011

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) has announced a third-quarter 2011 target date for publishing its ISO 50001 International Standard for energy management, which it claims will help organizations improve their energy performance, increase energy efficiency and reduce climate change impacts.

“ISO 50001 will establish a framework for industrial plants, commercial facilities or entire organizations to manage energy,” it said. “Targeting broad applicability across national economic sectors, it is estimated that the standard could influence up to 60 percent of the world’s energy use.”

The publication is being developed by ISO project committee ISO/PC 242, Energy management, whose chair, Edwin Piñero, said, “Everyday, organizations all over the world deal with issues such as energy supply availability, reliability, climate change, and resource depletion. A critical element in addressing these issues is how effectively an organization manages its energy use. With a strong focus on performance and continual improvement, ISO 50001 will contribute to enhanced energy efficiency and prudent energy use. An extremely high level of consensus drove our committee’s fast progress toward publication – proof that the world needs and wants this standard.”

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The document, said to be highly compatible with ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management), will highlight:

• A framework for integrating energy efficiency into management practices;
• Making better use of existing energy-consuming assets;
• Benchmarking, measuring, documenting, and reporting energy intensity improvements and their projected impact on reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
• Transparency and communication on the management of energy resources;
• Energy management best practices and good energy management behaviours;
• Evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies;
• A framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the supply chain;
• Energy management improvements in the context of GHG emission reduction projects.

Forty-three ISO member countries are participating in its development, with another 12 as observers. Liaison organizations include the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Energy Council (WEC).

“This new International Standard provides the structural framework for commercial and industrial companies to continually improve their energy intensity – saving money, improving competitiveness and reducing pollution. When companies can link efficiency to profitability, that’s a win-win,” said Roland Risser, chair of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO/PC 242, and manager of the Building Technologies Program at the U.S. Department of Energy.


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