Electricity is one of the greatest technological innovations in human history and imagining life without it is nearly impossible in this day and age. With ongoing developments in technology, society relies heavily on the use of electricity – both in our homes and our work environments. At home we rely on electricity to power our stoves, fridges and other appliances as well as provide proper lighting, water heating and air conditioning to name but a few.
Organisations, regardless of the industry, rely on electricity to fulfil even the most basic business tasks from printing documents to assembling their products. Having said that, more and more businesses are looking for an easier and cost-effective way to reduce their carbon footprint and lower their energy consumption.
What is energy management?
The term “Energy management” can have a variety of meanings but
En-track explains that it is “the proactive, organized and systematic management of energy use in a building or organization to satisfy both environmental and economic requirements”. The main objectives of energy management is resource conservation and climate protection.
According the
ISO website, an energy management system is a framework for implementing technical and management strategies that will significantly cut energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions over time. Businesses that are interested in cutting costs and reducing their carbon footprint can integrate an energy management system into their existing businesses practices.
ISO 50001
ISO 50001 is a company level certification that was developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in response to a request from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. It outlines the requirements for the establishment, implementation, maintenance, and improvement of an energy management system.
According to
SearchDataCenter, ISO 50001 uses a vendor- and technology-agnostic approach to enterprise energy management and is intended to help organisations develop and implement an energy management system.
ISO 50001 was designed with the intention of being compatible with other ISO management system standards. Through the development of an Energy Management System (EnMS), ISO 50001 helps organisations to use energy more efficiently. It is based on the same management system of continual improvement that is used for other popular standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
Like with other ISO management system standards, organisations are not obligated to be certified to ISO 50001 but due to the benefits it provides, many businesses choose to implement the standard. Having said that, the document is applicable to any organisation regardless of its size, industry, or location and can be applied regardless of the type or quality of energy used. It can stand alone or exist alongside other management systems.
Furthermore,
ISO says that ISO 50001:2018 provides organisations with a framework of requirements to:
- Develop a policy for more efficient use of energy
- Adapt targets and objectives to meet the policy
- Use data to better understand and make decisions about energy use
- Measure the results
- Determine how well the policy is working, and
- Continually improve energy management.
Benefits of being ISO 50001 certified
By implementing an effective Energy Management System, organisations can reduce the costs associated with energy usage and avoid any fines that may stem from over-use of the resource. By reducing carbon emissions, the business will be branded as ethical and credible which can lead to an increase in repeat business and stakeholder satisfaction. Lastly, the organisation will also be able measure and monitor their energy usage and identify areas of improvement.
Organisations that are currently certified with the ISO 50001:2011 standard have until 21 August 2021 to transition to ISO 50001:2018.
How Wwise can help
WWISE will help your organisation to set up a 50001:2018 compliant EnMS and assist with the integration with current management practices and Standards such as ISO 9001 and 14001. Our services include the development of the policies and procedures, setting of targets and measuring of results, as well as training of personnel.
We offer courses to help both organisations and individuals to understand and implement an energy management system.
View our courses
here. For more information, call us on (+27) 10 040 7989
or submit a contact form.
In conclusion, not only does Effective energy management benefit businesses, it’s also becoming a requirement. The best way to achieve it is with ISO 50001. The international standard outlines energy management practices that are considered to be the best on a global scale. Over time, ISO 50001 will help organizations to make better use of their existing energy-consuming assets and encourage others to do the same.