A new international ISO standard that benchmarks energy management is about to be released. ISO 50001 will establish a framework for industrial plants, commercial facilities or entire organizations to manage energy.

Reported by Staff

According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 50001 could influence 60% of the world’s energy use, and is likely to further accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency practices, driving companies to continuously improve their energy performance.

The organization says there is significant market demand for a global energy management standard, suggesting it will be adopted relatively fast and wide.

Managing energy using the standard could enable benchmarking and a systematic roadmap to achieve energy savings; assist in documenting energy savings for legislative requirements, and help drive supply chain initiatives.

Energy is the third-largest expense for businesses -after employees and real estate- representing an average of 19% of total expenses and accounts for 75% of a company’s carbon footprint.

Like other ISO standards, ISO 50001 will be a voluntary system. ISO standards tend to quickly become de facto requirements as rapid uptake by competitors drives non-participating companies to adopt them as well.

The standards do not establish any requirements for energy performance – they are a framework for companies to establish their own benchmarks.