What is the ISO 50001 standard and what is it for?
The ISO 50001 standard is an international standard based on efficient energy management and the reduction of energy consumption in companies. Implementing the standard ISO 50001 in organizations allows to establish a solid and effective energy management system, with the aim of optimizing energy use and reducing costs.
In addition, the standard ISO 50001 serves to provide companies with structured courses of action to increase, improve or maintain their energy efficiency levels. In this way, companies can identify their weak points, correcting them, and their opportunities for improvement, enhancing them.
Standard ISO 50001: requirements
The standard ISO 50001 is certifiable in an external audit, and as such there are certain requirements that must be met to obtain it. The requirements for certification are:
Documentation and legal framework
The company that intends to be certified at ISO 50001 must comply with the legislation in force at the time of the certification request, fulfilling the necessary requirements in energy efficiency and providing documents that authenticate it.
Information and awareness of the ISO 50001
Company leadership is vital to inform the rest of the organization about what ISO 50001 is, what it is for, what its benefits are and where it can have an impact on the company. Both management and employees must be informed and aware of its real usefulness.
Establishment of energy efficiency goals and objectives.
In order to measure the evolution, usefulness and correct implementation of the ISO 50001 standard, it is advisable to establish certain energy efficiency objectives. This increases the objectivity of the qualification and establishes an action plan that facilitates contact and subsequent evolution.
Review of developments and continuous improvement
It is necessary to be in continuous training and improvement in the implementation of the ISO 50001, measuring the decisions taken in terms of energy efficiency and checking that the results are getting better and better in each control check.
Benefits of the standard ISO 50001
Just as there are certain obligations when certifying or adhering to the ISO 50001 standard, there are also benefits that corroborate the usefulness of the process for companies:
Substantial bill savings
The basis that governs the standard ISO 50001 itself is efficiency and energy savings, so if the company's principles are going to be reconverted to prioritize these savings, it is most likely that a favorable change in the bill will be noticed.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
All the actions included in the standard entail good corporate social responsibility actions in terms of energy management, since being a popular topic in the social debate, the perception of the brand in terms of good energy management will be improved.
Competitive advantage in the market
In addition to being a good CSR action, let's not forget that it can be an advantage in the market in terms of competition, not only for the internal economic savings, but also for the better brand image of the company towards the outside.
Shall we talk about energy efficiency?
The standard ISO 50001 in the world
Every year, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) conducts a global survey on the number of certifications in force worldwide, according to its management system standards.
The result provides the most comprehensive view available to date on certifications to ISO standards, despite fluctuations in the number of certificates from year to year due to differences in the number of participating certification bodies (new additions or bodies that participate one year and not the next) and the number of certificates reported. The data resulting from the 2016 survey have recently become available and are summarized below.
Regarding energy management system certificates, a total of 20,216 valid certificates were reported as of December 31, 2016, a sharp increase of 69% more than in 2015.
If we analyze the figures by region, Europe once again leads the world ranking, accounting for 84.6% of the total (17,099 certificates), followed at a considerable distance by East Asia and the Pacific with 10.3% (2,086 certificates).
Focusing the analysis at the country level, Germany is the undisputed leader for yet another year with a share of almost 45% (9,024 certificates), once again favored by the German government's tax incentive policy. It is followed by the United Kingdom with 14% (2,829 certificates), which has almost doubled the number of certificates in one year. Italy completes the podium with 7% of the world total (1,415 certificates and an impressive growth of over 200%). Spain is in the Top 10, occupying eighth place with a share of 2.3% (465 certificates) and a growth in the number of certifications close to 20% compared to 2015.
Finally, if we analyze the data from the point of view of the productive sector, according to the European Accreditation Classification (EAC), the basic metal industry is in first place, followed by the food, beverage and tobacco industry and the rubber and plastics sector.
If your company is thinking of becoming certified and wants to do it quickly and easily, using the most advanced integrated energy management platform on the market, do not hesitate to contact us.
