Using energy efficiently contributes towards an organisation’s objectives to conserve resources and tackle climate change, while saving money. The ISO 50001 standard supports organisations of all sizes in all sectors in their efforts to use energy more efficiently through the implementation of an energy management system.

ISO 50001 is an international standard that was first published in 2011 and revised in 2018. It sets out the requirements for implementing an energy management system. It enables organisations to establish processes necessary to continually improve energy performance by integrating energy efficiency into their daily operations. The standard has become a benchmark for organisations seeking to effectively manage their energy performance. Obtaining ISO 50001 certification is also a public demonstration of a company’s commitment to energy management and sustainability.

Certification is not only about compliance – an organisation has to demonstrate repeated improvement in energy performance, against which it will be measured during certification cycles. This unique performance standard is simple, flexible, brings results and can be easily integrated with both the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. This means less focus on procedures and a drive towards common tools, terms and processes across the organisation.

There are many success stories with impressive results worldwide, thanks to ISO 50001. Perhaps a good example is a programme led by the US Department of Energy that demonstrated not only that ISO 50001 increases energy savings but also that facilities using the standard outperform those that do not by up to 65%.

This is not true for developed countries only – the South African Industrial Energy Efficiency Project, implemented by the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA), has assisted some South African organisations with successful energy management system implementation and ISO 50001 certification readiness assessments or gap analyses. The NCPC-SA has found that the first five years of ISO 50001 implementation have consistently delivered cost savings of between 5% and 30% and continually challenges organisations to attain greater energy savings, while ensuring the initial gains are sustained in the long term. Even organisations with mature energy efficiency programmes can still improve by 10% or more year-on-year after their ISO 50001 certification.

The ISO 50001:2011 standard enjoyed global success as soon as it was introduced, with the highest number of certifications in Europe, and in Germany, in particular. Although ISO 50001 may not be enjoying robust growth in South Africa, there is a projection for an increase in certification numbers. This is mainly because ISO standards are vital in certain industries across the globe for maintaining the confidence of consumers and original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) alike.

Despite the NCPC-SA having assisted many South African companies with the implementation of energy management systems, only a fraction of these companies have gone a step further and became ISO 50001 compliant. Most companies have ISO 50001 aspirations but opt to go for certification at a later stage. However, the break between implementation of energy management systems and certification is understandable, since achieving and maintaining ISO certification is neither easy nor cheap. Thus, it is only natural that companies might occasionally question the standard’s relevance or whether it is even worth the effort and cost.

The fact that the ISO 50001 standard offers a solution to legal, economic and environmental problems cements its relevance for as long as these problems exist. Many countries view the standard as a strategic tool towards a sustainable energy future and have gone on to make it an integral part of their energy policies.

Some governments are proactive, using tax rebates and other incentives to encourage companies to implement ISO 50001. Germany’s vast uptake of the standard is attributed to successful government programmes that incentivised companies for ISO 50001 certifications. ISO 50001 is a powerful tool that has helped countries meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The significant benefits of implementing ISO 50001 are not limited to energy and energy cost savings, though. Early adopters of the standard have shown that conformance results in some non-energy benefits as well, such as greater productivity and lower maintenance requirements.

While incentives for certification may differ from one country to the next and from one organisation to the next, the benefits of ISO 50001 will remain the biggest factor for its relevance. Even if suppliers are not required by OEMs to be ISO 50001 certified, companies will soon find that having that certificate is a lot like having a university degree. It is a fundamental accomplishment that, while not always required, is beneficial.