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EERE » AMO eGuide » ISO 50001 ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Step 1.6 Identify the EnMS scope and boundaries

This step is relevant to sections 4.1, 4.2.1 and 4.5.4.1 of the ISO 50001-2011 standard.

Top management defines and documents the scope and boundaries of your organization’s energy management system (EnMS). The scope and boundaries of the management system allows your organization to focus its efforts and resources by defining the extent of the EnMS.The scope of the EnMS may be a building, plant, facility, site or corporation or some component of these but will cover the activities, facilities, and decisions associated with the energy sources within the scope. The boundaries are the physical or organizational limits the organization identifies which may include one or more processes, sites, equipment, or other relevant limitations. The scope may include several boundaries.

How to do it

There are three tasks needed to define the scope and boundaries of the energy management system (EnMS):

Resources available within your organization that may be useful in identifying the scope and boundaries of the EnMS include:

  • Organization chart
  • Site map or plat
  • Site photographs
  • List of on-site contractors and related operations
  • Facility/building layout
  • Process layouts/maps
  • Process flow diagrams
  • Utilities drawings
  • Facility/building energy consumption data
  • Equipment energy consumption data

1.6.1 Identify extent of activities, facilities, decisions to be included in EnMS

Consider the answers to these questions when defining the extent of activities, facilities and decisions to be included in the scope and boundaries of your energy management system. The Scope and Boundaries Worksheet can be used to help formulate the scope.

  • Is there an area on which you do not have energy information?
  • Is there an area where you cannot gain employee involvement or participation?
  • Are there areas that have a different management team or decision structure?
  • Do you have a building or location that you are not including?
    • Can you isolate the energy consumption of those locations?

1.6.2 Define site limits and/or organizational limits of EnMS

Now that you have considered and answered the questions related to the extent of activities, facilities and decisions to be included in the scope of your EnMS, what are the physical implications of your decision? How would they be translated into a statement of the boundaries of your energy management system? Consider your answers to these questions when defining the boundary of your EnMS. The Scope and Boundaries Worksheet can be used to help formulate the boundary to be defined in the statement.

  • What are the physical limitations of the areas that are included?
  • What are the physical limitations of the areas that are NOT included?
  • How do the areas that are included and are not included compare to the site map or plat?

1.6.3 Develop a scope and boundaries statement for your EnMS

Using the output of the first two tasks, develop a written statement of the scope and boundaries of the EnMS. See Example Scope and Boundaries for additional guidance on how to formalize a statement of scope and boundaries. The statement of the EnMS scope and boundaries is often documented within an energy manual, which is not required, but which many organizations find useful as a “road map” to their EnMS. (See the Energy Manual Guidelines for additional information.)

Resources & Examples

These resources can help you define and document the scope and boundaries of your EnMS:

Single license electronic copies of the ISO 50001 standard can be purchased from GTESS.

Site licenses (for posting on internal networks) can be purchased from ANSI.