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ISO 50001:2011 – Energy Management Certification

ISO 50001:2011 relates to energy management and is a voluntary, internationally recognised standard, which outlines the requirements for an energy management system (EnMS). The structure of this standard is similar to ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, which should support implementation, as well as its integration into existing management systems.

ISO 50001 will be relevant to organisations of all shapes and sizes but will be of particular interest to those operating in energy intensive environments.

It is expected that this standard will supersede EN 16001, which is a recognised European Energy Management System (EnMS), published in July 2009.  If you already have certification to EN 16001, VCA can help you make the transition to ISO 50001:2011.

Key elements of the standard include:

• Continual improvement of energy performance
• Creation of an energy policy
• Prioritisation of issues affecting energy use and efficiency
• Supporting the reduction of costs and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by setting objectives and targets for the identification of saving opportunities
• Formalising control systems and monitoring processes, Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) approach
• Evaluation of compliance with legal and other requirements
• Systematic review of the EnMS by top management
• Assists organisations in making better use of existing energy consuming assets

Some potential benefits of implementation and certification

• Promotes a focus on energy as a valuable and costly resource
• Improves and drives energy performance and efficiency – improves the way energy is managed
• Demonstrates energy management best practises to stakeholders and others
• Provides a better understanding of energy use
• More conscious energy design and procurement practices
• Straightforward integration with other management systems, i.e. ISO 9001 & 14001 as it has common elements across the management system standards
• Maximises use of energy sources and energy related assets – could reduce energy cost and consumption
• Reduces GHG emissions and other environmental impacts
• Supports the growing demand within industry to gain international recognition

Our Approach to Certification

One of the fundamental cornerstones of our service is the desire to focus on adding real value to your business. We only use an assessment team with a full understanding of the standard and we will provide a team with detailed knowledge of your sector and the energy issues you face. We also understand that development and implementation of systems can be difficult, so a number of current customers have benefited from pre-assessment audits or gap analysis days. In addition to this, VCA customers are increasingly looking to take an integrated approach to certification. VCA auditors are able to cope with this, dealing with Energy, Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety certification as one exercise.

Contact us for more information: enquiries@vca.gov.uk