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What Is ISO 50001?
August 19, 2011 -
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Today's tip is about the standard developed by the International Organization for Standards, or ISO, for energy management.
According to ISO, Standard 50001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy management system, whose purpose is to enable an organization to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy use and consumption.
The standard is applicable to both commercial and industrial facilities.
Possibly the most notable part of that definition is the requirement for continuous improvement. Facility managers who choose to go through certification must set and then meet particular targets for improved energy performance. Those energy performance targets must be certified by a third party.
Experts suggest six steps to ISO 50001 certification. First, get buy-in from upper managers. Second, collect, track and analyze energy data. Third, identify the exact sources of the building’s energy use. Fourth, establish a baseline of energy use. Fifth, identify opportunities for savings. And finally, create a system to prioritize energy-saving strategies.
For more information on the new standard, check out the Department of Energy’s new website for energy management at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/energymanagement/