ISO Announces Publication of New ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard

On May 23, 2011, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced that the ISO 50001:2011 Standard, Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, is to be published on June 15, 2011. This new standard will establish a consistent means through which industrial and commercial facilities and other organizations can evaluate energy use and develop sound strategies to improve their energy performance.

The announcement of the publication of the ISO 50001 Standard comes at the end of a long development process that was first set in motion during the spring of 2007. Since then, 52 nations have been involved in the creation of ISO 50001, one of the first internationally recognized standards addressing energy management and efficiency. The ISO project committee 242, which developed the standard, voted unanimously to approve moving the final draft standard to an international standard.

About the Standard

ISO 50001 provides the industrial and commercial sectors with a basis for implementing energy management. The standard is geared toward achieving the goals of increasing energy savings and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. With ISO 50001, a wide variety of facilities can evaluate their energy use and establish a plan to manage energy continuously to improve energy efficiency.  

The international applicability of the standard will ensure a universal approach to energy management and best practices in energy efficiency. Upon publication, the 22-page document will be available for purchase by facilities and organizations and can be used as a guide for implementing energy management strategies.

Promoting Understanding of ISO 50001

To increase awareness about the forthcoming standard, the May issue of the ISO Focus+ magazine contains a special report on energy, which includes information on a case study by the U.S. Department of Energy involving the implementation of pilot programs based on ISO 50001. ISO also is producing promotional materials, including a short video and an informational brochure, in order to give facilities and organizations a better idea of the content of ISO 50001 as well as how it could impact them.