ISO 50001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

Due for release in late 2010, ISO 50001 is set to be the pre-eminent standard for energy management systems as proposed and defined by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

Although author of many important standards, ISO has designed ISO 50001 to be able to implemented as either a stand-alone management system or to be seamlessly combined or integrated with its important corporate standards, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Implementing ISO 9001 has meant that an organisation fulfils defined and accepted quality requirements, and all applicable regulatory requirements in the pursuit of delivering goods and services to its customers.

Similarly the implementation of ISO 14001 has enabled organisation to implement a comprehensive management system that seeks to minimise the harmful effects on the environment caused by its own business activities. The standard also aims to guide organisations to continually improve its operations and performance with respect to the environment.

The new standard, ISO 50001 will enable organisations to extend its environmental responsibilities to the management and consumption of energy resources. As such the standard should become a major component of an organisation’s response, providing an internationally-approved precedent for both the technical and strategic management aspects of energy use and consumption, to the increasing commercial and legislative pressures that are developing, such as increased energy costs and the focus by governments on CO2 emissions.

Using the same Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology ISO 50001 as adopted in the other ISO management standards and so enhancing its inter-operability.

Learn how Assessor for Data Centre Energy Efficiency can help you in the implementation of the data centre and IT facilities component of a corporate energy management system.

Purchase a copy of ISO 50001:2011 direct from BSI through our online bookstore.