ISO 50001 (International Organization for Standardization 50001) is a voluntary standard for designing, implementing and maintaining an energy management system. ISO 50001 was developed by an ISO technical committee and originally published in 2011. It was updated in 2018 and 2024 to align with other ISO standards and climate action changes.
ISO 50001, which uses a vendor- and technology-agnostic approach to enterprise energy management, was developed in response to a request from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The standard is intended to help organizations develop and implement an energy management system.
According to 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. System components include the creation of an energy policy, objectives for improving the efficient use of energy, a timeline with target dates for meeting objectives and an action plan that specifies exactly how the organization’s objectives will be met.
ISO 50001 uses the plan-do-check-act framework, which is also supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. During the planning phase, the organization sets objectives and targets, using current energy efficiency measurements to establish a baseline. During the do phase, the organization implements actions to improve energy efficiency. During the check phase, the organization measures and evaluates its energy performance and compares the results to its baseline. During the act phase, the organization decides what changes to make to improve energy performance. The cycle then continuously repeats with a new planning phase.
With continuous improvement, ISO 50001 will help an organization make better use of its existing energy-consuming assets, create transparency and improve communication about energy consumption, promote energy management best practices and help prioritize the implementation of energy-efficient technology.
The ISO does not issue certifications for ISO 50001 compliance, but an accredited third-party agency can grant certifications. It is recommended that organizations interested in acquiring ISO 50001 certification contact and interview several accredited agencies before committing to one. A list of accredited evaluators is available on the ISO website. The ISO 50001 certification is valid for three years, and a mandatory assessment is done every year.
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