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The publication of the revised version of the ISO 50001 standard, established in 2011 to help companies implement an energy management system to improve their energy performance, is expected before the end of 2018. Here is an update on the upcoming changes.
Since June 2016, under the leadership of the ISO/TC 301 Technical Committee, "Energy management and energy savings," around thirty experts from various countries have been actively working on the revision of the ISO 50001 standard. The objectives are to better address the expectations of interested parties, to harmonize this standard—particularly with the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 frameworks—to facilitate the implementation of integrated management systems, and to make it easier for SMEs to adopt this framework.
Towards an integrated energy management system
The main change: the ISO 50001 standard will now be organized according to the 10 chapters required by the HLS structure ("High Level Structure"), a format defined in 2012 that has already been adopted for the latest versions of the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 standards. The goal is to promote the implementation of integrated management systems.
The new version of ISO 50001 also clarifies energy performance concepts for small and micro-businesses, helping them adopt this framework and commit to the path of energy management.
It encourages companies, regardless of their size, to integrate their energy management system (EnMS) into their business processes by fostering energy policies that are compatible with the company's overall strategic direction and objectives.
As part of their EnMS, the revised version of the ISO 50001 standard requires companies to analyze their context to identify relevant issues, determine the relevant obligations of their stakeholders, and conduct a risk and opportunity assessment.
Another new feature is the strengthening of the requirement for continuous improvement of energy performance. This concept already existed in the 2011 version, but the current draft requires organizations to implement monitoring and measurement actions to demonstrate continuous improvement.
Revised ISO 50001 standard: publication expected by the end of 2018
The draft of the international standard ISO 50001 DIS version was approved in November 2017, and final consultations are underway. The full report following this voting procedure led to the launch of the FDIS version, for "Final Draft International Standard," in March 2018.
This version, which is the final draft before the publication of the definitive standard, was presented in May 2018 as part of the approval process. The final voting and consultation procedures with ISO bodies and the technical committee in charge of revising this standard are currently underway. If theISO does not announce an official release date, the revised standard is expected to be published before the end of 2018.