Implementation walkthrough
How to implement ISO 50001: video walkthrough
A walkthrough of an ISO 50001 implementation: an energy management system built to reduce consumption, with the energy review, indicators and baseline the auditor will test.
Key takeaways
- Set the scope and boundaries first; no energy type inside the boundary can be excluded.
- The energy review identifies the significant energy uses and what drives them.
- Indicators and a baseline are what the auditor uses to judge improvement.
- Improvement must be demonstrated, normalised for production, weather or occupancy where relevant.
- Certification bodies assess ISO 50001 under ISO 50003 and make the decision.
Energy management built on data, not a binder
ISO 50001 is the international standard for energy management systems. It asks an organisation to understand where its energy goes, identify the significant energy uses that matter most, set indicators and a baseline against which performance is judged, and keep improving energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption on evidence. The standard fixes no level of improvement, but it does require improvement to be demonstrated.
The practical question is about money and control. Do you know which processes, buildings and machines account for most of your energy bill, what drives their consumption, and whether last year's efficiency project reduced anything once production, weather and occupancy are allowed for? This short film walks through how an energy management system that can answer those questions is put in place.
The ISO 50001 implementation sequence
Start with the scope and boundaries: the sites and activities covered, every energy type inside the boundary, any regulatory obligation, and who will form the energy management team. An energy type inside the boundary cannot be excluded, so the boundary decision comes first. A gap analysis then examines existing metering, invoices, maintenance practice and any earlier energy audit, keeps what works and agrees actions, owners, dates and resources.
The technical heart of the work is the energy review: consumption analysed, significant energy uses identified with the variables that drive them, energy performance indicators set, a baseline established and a data collection plan put in order. Operational controls, design and procurement criteria follow, and the system runs long enough to produce results. Internal audit and management review come next, and an independent certification body working to ISO 50003 assesses the system and decides.
Sterling's expert and experienced consultants run the energy review with your engineers and set the indicators and baseline under Sterling OS™, with the system held in Effivity. The current edition is ISO 50001:2018 with Amendment 1:2024.
ISO 50001 at a glance
- Purpose
- Energy management: measured, normalised improvement in energy efficiency, use and consumption, with the data to prove it
- Relevant to
- Any organisation that pays for energy it can control: plants, buildings, data centres, fleets, hospitals, hotels, single site or multi-country
- Edition
- ISO 50001:2018 with Amendment 1:2024 on climate action; confirmed by ISO in 2024, no revision in progress, no transition to plan
- Certification
- Assessed and decided by an independent, accredited certification body working to ISO 50003
- Sterling's role
- Energy review, indicators, baseline and controls built with your team, Effivity, training, internal audit and certification readiness, then Sustain™
- Cost and timing
- Total investment for an ISO 50001 EnMS depends on the current maturity of your processes, the scope, locations and number of employees. The process typically takes 6 to 12 months
ISO 50001: questions people ask
Do we have to cut our energy consumption to get ISO 50001 certified?
You have to demonstrate energy performance improvement, which the standard defines as improvement in energy efficiency, or in energy consumption related to energy use, compared with the baseline. Where production, weather or occupancy drives consumption, the indicators are normalised, so a plant whose output grew can still show improvement, and one whose bill fell only because it produced less cannot. The standard sets no level to reach; the certification body checks that improvement is demonstrated at initial certification and each recertification.
How much historical energy data do we need before we start?
The baseline must cover a suitable period, and twelve months is common because it captures the seasons. Invoices, meter readings and production or occupancy records from the past one to three years are normally enough for the energy review and the first baseline; sub-metering is added only where a decision depends on it.
Do we need to install sub-meters?
Not necessarily. The standard requires a data collection plan appropriate to your size, complexity, resources and measurement equipment, and equipment that gives accurate and repeatable data. Most start with invoices and existing meters and add sub-meters on SEUs where the information justifies the cost.
Is ISO 50001 certification mandatory?
In most countries it is voluntary. In the EU, Directive (EU) 2023/1791 requires enterprises averaging more than 85 TJ of energy a year to implement an energy management system certified by an independent body by 11 October 2027, and enterprises above 10 TJ without one to carry out an energy audit by 11 October 2026 and at least every four years, as transposed by each member state. In the UK, ISO 50001 certification covering your energy use is a recognised route to ESOS compliance.
What is a significant energy use, and how many should we have?
A significant energy use accounts for a substantial share of consumption or offers considerable potential for improvement. The number follows from your energy review, not from a rule of thumb; most sites end up with a handful, each needing its relevant variables, current performance, the people who affect it and operating criteria.
Keep exploring
Related to this video
Read next
The complete guide
Everything on ISO 50001
Start with the ISO 50001 page, or go straight to the guide you need.
On the ISO 50001 page
Guides
- The ISO 50001 certification process, step by step
- ISO 50001 certification cost
- The ISO 50001 energy data collection plan
- ISO 50001, the Energy Efficiency Directive and ESOS
- Effivity ISO 50001 guide
- ISO 50001 energy review
- ISO 50001 EnPI and energy baseline
- ISO 50001 vs ISO 14001
- ISO 50001 requirements explained
Often combined with ISO 50001
More videos: Environment, energy and climate
- FSC chain of custody requirements explainedTwo-minute brief · 2 min
- How to build a GHG Protocol emissions inventoryImplementation walkthrough · 3 min 15 s
- GHG Protocol requirements explainedTwo-minute brief · 2 min
- How to implement ISO 14064-1Implementation walkthrough · 3 min 15 s
- ISO 14064-1 requirements explainedTwo-minute brief · 2 min
- How to implement ISO 14068 (formerly ISO 14068-1) carbon neutralityImplementation walkthrough · 3 min 15 s
- ISO 14068 (formerly ISO 14068-1) requirements explainedTwo-minute brief · 2 min
- How to implement ISO 20121Implementation walkthrough · 3 min 15 s
- ISO 20121 requirements explainedTwo-minute brief · 2 min
Talk to a consultant
Plan your ISO 50001 certification with confidence.
Tell us your goals, locations and target date. We’ll help you define the scope, timeline and next steps.
hello@sterling-grc.com+1 201 263 4443 (global headquarters) · your nearest office and its number are at the top of this page
What would you like to achieve?
Choose a starting point. The enquiry form takes about a minute.
Book my free discovery callContinue to the enquiry form to share your details. Please do not include passwords, sensitive personal information or confidential files. A Sterling consultant replies within one working day. Privacy notice