Due to substantial demand for energy in new developing markets (China, India…), decreasingly available fossil fuel reserves and the resulting rising fuel prices, as well as the adverse environmental impact of using fossil fuels – the greenhouse effect – energy (in)efficiency has emerged as an issue of utmost significance for the world in recent years. The energy management problem is particularly present in industry as a large consumer of energy.
To reduce energy costs, but also to protect the environment, permanent optimization of energy management system has become one of the crucial factors in developing successful business of economic operators.
This is exactly the purpose of the ISO 50001:2011 standard, which supports businesses and other organizations in developing systems and processes designed to increase their energy efficiency. By defining and implementing energy management systems, organizations:
- Define their Energy Policies and make them available to their employees;
- Appoint an Energy Manager/Management Energy Representative;
- Identify and assess areas of particular relevance to energy consumption;
- Establish an energy base for monitoring energy efficiency;
- Identify and monitor energy using devices;
- Continuously upgrade their EnMS and optimize processes relevant to energy consumption; and
- Regularly (at least once a year) review the efficiency of the energy management system.
Certified companies benefit from reduced energy and investment costs, from permanent optimization of energy efficiency and better marketing opportunities in terms of improved cost-efficiency. Furthermore, energy consumption optimization results in lower CO2 emissions and builds employees’ awareness of the importance of environmental protection.