ISO management system standard for energy

ISO has identified energy management as a priority area meriting the development and promotion of International Standards. Effective energy management is a priority focus because of the significant potential to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide.

Existing ISO standards for quality management practices (ISO 9000 series) and environmental management systems (ISO 14000 series) have successfully stimulated substantial, continuous efficiency improvements within organizations around the globe. An energy management standard is expected to similarly achieve major, long-term increases in energy efficiency.

A pressing need for international energy management standards

“The urgency to reduce GHG emissions, the reality of higher prices from reduced availability of fossil fuels, and the need to promote efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources provide a strong rationale for developing this new standard, building on the most advanced good practices and existing national or regional standards.”

Alan Bryden
ISO Secretary-General

Discussions between US experts and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) led to a formal proposal for ISO to establish a committee on this subject. In February 2008, the Technical Management Board of ISO approved the establishment of a new project committee (ISO/PC 242 – Energy Management) to develop the new ISO Management System Standard for Energy. Early on, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) recognized industry’s need to mount an effective response to climate change and to the proliferation of national energy management standards. In March 2007, UNIDO hosted a meeting of experts, including representatives from the ISO Central Secretariat and nations that have adopted energy management standards. That meeting led to submission of a UNIDO communication to the ISO Central Secretariat requesting that ISO consider undertaking work on an international energy management standard.

The work will be carried out in a new ISO committee PC 242 Energy Management. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) will serve as the committee Secretariat in partnership with Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT). ISO 50001 will establish an international framework for industrial plants or entire companies to manage all aspects of energy, including procurement and use. The standard will provide organizations and companies with technical and management strategies to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs, and improve environmental performance. Based on broad applicability across national economic sectors, the standard could influence up to 60 percent of the world’s energy demand. Corporations, supply chain partnerships, utilities, energy service companies, and others are expected to use ISO 50001 as a tool to reduce energy intensity use and carbon emissions in their own facilities (as well as those belonging to their customers or suppliers) and to benchmark their achievements.

As part of the standard development process, ISO/PC 242 will define relevant terminology and develop management system requirements along with providing guidance for use, implementation, measurement, and metrics associated with the standard. To provide compatibility and integration opportunities with other management systems, it is anticipated that the standard will foster the same management system principles of continual improvement and use the Plan-Do-Check-Act approach as employed in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

The future standard will provide organizations and companies with a recognized framework for integrating energy efficiency into their management practices. Multi-national organizations will have access to a single, harmonized standard for implementation across the organization with a logical and consistent methodology for identifying and implementing energy efficiency improvements. The standard will also:

Assist organizations in making better use of their existing energy-consuming assets
Offer guidance on benchmarking, measuring, documenting, and reporting energy intensity improvements and their projected impact on reductions in GHG emissions
Create transparency and facilitate communication on the management of energy resources
Promote energy management best practices and reinforce good energy management behaviors
Assist facilities in evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies
Provide a framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the supply chain
Facilitate energy management improvements in the context of GHG emission reduction projects.

Energy leaders are encouraged to participate in their country’s national mirror committee which will coordinate the country’s participation in writing the standard.Contact information for ISO members in each country is available on ISO Online. Countries wishing to actively participate and send representatives to ISO/PC 242 meetings should confirm their participation status with the ISO Central Secretariat (vyze@iso.org) and should also inform the ISO/PC 242 Secretary, Mr. Jason Knopes, ANSI, JKnopes@ansi.org and Co-Secretary Felipe Viera, ABNT,Felipe.Vieira@abnt.org.br

SOURCE