The path to effective energy management starts with the decision to utilize an Energy Management System (EnMS). The decision to use this eGuide as a tool to support the implementation of an EnMS begins with understanding the basics of an EnMS. The eGuide is organized into five major steps that guide your organization through the implementation and maintenance of an EnMS. Level 2 of the eGuide is built on the International Standard for Energy Management Systems, ISO 50001.
What is an energy management system (EnMS)?
An energy management system is an interacting series of processes that enables an organization to systematically achieve and sustain energy management actions and energy performance improvements. It provides the processes and systems needed to incorporate energy considerations and energy management into daily operations as part of an organizational strategy for continually improving energy performance.
What is ISO 50001?
ISO 50001-2011 is an International Standard that specifies requirements for an energy management system. The requirements are used to establish and implement a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) continual improvement system for managing energy and achieving energy performance improvements.
If you are using the eGuide to help your organization implement ISO 50001, it is very important that you purchase copies of the ISO 50001-2011 Standard. The eGuide is not a substitute for reading the requirements of the ISO 50001 Standard. Electronic copies of ISO 50001 can be purchased from the GTEES market place. Printed copies of the ISO 50001 standard can be purchased from ANSI website or directly from ISO.
Getting started on an energy management system (EnMS) begins with understanding the five major steps of an EnMS as organized in the eGuide;
Engage Management
Plan for Energy Management
Implement Energy Management
Measure and Check Results
Review for Continual Improvement
How to do it
There are two tasks to be completed to develop an understanding of energy management system basics:
Engage your management – This first step involves taking the time to understand the basics of energy management (as you’re doing now), which will allow you to effectively communicate the benefits to top management to secure their support. Only after you have secured top management’s support will there be success with fostering the necessary resources for a successful energy management system.
Plan for Energy Management – The planning process of the energy management system involves developing a profile of your organization’s energy use and energy consumption by answering these questions:
Where does our energy come from?
How is energy used in our organization?
How should we measure and evaluate energy performance?
What are our existing commitments (legal and otherwise) to consider when managing energy?
How do we identify the most relevant opportunities for improving energy performance?
What are the appropriate energy objectives and targets for our organization?
Implement Energy Management – Most people are familiar with launching projects and following project plans. That is a primary focus of this step. The other equally important element is to develop the support systems for energy improvement, such as communication about energy to employees, training, and establishing and implementing the necessary operational controls related to energy use and performance. These systems help make energy part of how you do business.
Measure Results – This part of the energy management system provides a check on the progress of both your energy management action plans and your overall energy performance. An effective energy management system will follow the progress check with the necessary response to any results that deviate from the planned or expected outcomes.
Review for Continual Improvement - The review for continual improvement is the opportunity to take a step back and evaluate the effectiveness of your energy management efforts. This is the time to determine if you are on track with your energy improvement projects and other business goals as they relate to energy. This is the time to bring in top management for the high level review.
1.1.2 Review the PDCA continual improvement framework
The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle of continual improvement for energy management is built on your organization’s commitment to the process established in this, the Engage Management step of the eGuide. Without your organization’s full commitment to the PDCA process you will have limited success with establishing and maintaining an effective energy management system.
Steps 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the eGuide support the PDCA framework as defined in the international standard ISO 50001. Before moving forward, you may find it useful to review some basic information about ISO 50001 as described in the ISO brochure, Win the Energy Challenge with ISO 50001.
PLAN: Step 2 – Plan for Energy Management
Energy review—Analyze your energy data, identify the significant energy uses, and prioritize the organization’s opportunities for energy performance improvement.
Energy baseline—Define a period of time to serve as a basis for comparison of energy performance.
Energy performance indicators (EnPIs)—Develop quantitative measures of energy performance.
Legal and other requirements—Identify and keep up to date the legal and other requirements applicable to the organization’s energy uses.
Objectives and targets—Decide on the energy performance improvement goals to be pursued by the organization.
Energy management action plans—Plan the actions, responsibilities and methods needed to achieve and verify the improvements stated in the energy objectives and targets.
DO: Step 3 – Implementing Energy Management
Communication—Implement processes for internal and external communication about the EnMS and the organization’s energy performance.
Competence, training and awareness—Ensure that employees and contractors are appropriately trained, and aware and capable of carrying out their energy management responsibilities.
Documentation—Maintain documented information on your EnMS.
Control of documents—Establish processes for managing documents to ensure that current and accurate information is available.
Operational control—Plan the operations associated with your significant energy uses, objectives and targets, and action plans to ensure that those operations are resourced and carried out consistently.
Design—Consider opportunities for improving energy performance in design activities for new, modified or renovated facilities, equipment, systems and processes.
Procurement—Make energy performance a factor in purchasing decisions when significant energy uses are involved.
CHECK: Step 4 – Measure and Check Results
Monitoring, measurement and analysis—Monitor, measure and analyze the key characteristics of activities that determine energy performance.
Evaluation of compliance—Assess the status of compliance with applicable legal requirements and other energy requirements adopted by or committed to by the organization.
Internal audit—Verify that the EnMS is functioning properly and generating the planned results.
Nonconformities, correction, corrective and preventive action—Identify and correct actual and potential problems.
Control of records—Maintain information that indicates the results achieved or providing evidence of the activities performed.
ACT: Step 5 – Review for Continual Improvement
Management review—Review the results and performance of the EnMS to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, effectiveness and improvement. The management review is only effective when it is followed by the actions that promote and support continual improvement of the EnMS and energy performance.
Recognize success – Reward the positive outcomes of your EnMS to promote its support and continued participation by every member of your organization.
Understanding the nature and tasks of each of these five steps will help provide the insight you need to establish an effective energy management system in your organization.
Resources & Examples
The following resources are helpful in understanding the basics of an ISO 50001-2011 energy management system:
