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Coming to a standards office near you is ISO 50001. Due to be published in early 2011, this will be the definitive Energy Management Standard. Currently, the de facto standard for energy management is EN 16001:2009 ‘Energy management systems. Requirements with guidance for use’. This standard is intended to help all organisations irrespective of their size, geographical location, products, services or marketplace to establish the processes and systems necessary for managing and improving energy efficiency. In turn, this helps reduce emissions and green house gases.

Having an EN16001 Energy Management System will enable any organisation to:

• Improve energy use performance in a systematic way
• Establish an energy management system
• Ensure energy management conforms with stated policy
• Demonstrate to stakeholders and others the organisation’s commitment to energy use improvement
• Allow certification of the Energy Management System by an accredited third party.

EN 16001 is currently a European standard (the EN designator indicating it is a ‘European Norm’). However, the International Standards Organisation (ISO) has taken up this standard and is planning to publish the international version as ISO 50001 and, surprise, surprise, will also be called “Energy management systems — Requirements with guidance for use”. Currently, the international standard version is in the voting stage as a Draft International Standard. If all goes well expected publication will be in early 2011. Thus, certainly for a while EN 16001 and ISO 50001 will sit alongside one another. Those of you who have already started on EN 16001 programmes fear not: one of the prime aims in writing the international version has been to retain compatibility between EN 16001 and ISO 50001 thus ensuring early adopters of the former standard will not lose out. It is anticipated that those certifying to EN16001 should have only minimal transitional requirements to achieve ISO 50001 status.

Confused? You certainly should be. Well after reading this hopefully it will clarify the situation and remove doubt. If you still are in need of succour why not call IT Governance (+44(0)845 070 1570) and talk it through.

The contents of EN 16001 are:

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Strategic approach to energy management: EN 16001

In today’s highly volatile and competitive market place energy costs have assumed a greater significance. With rising fuel costs, open markets in gas and electricity and new government climate change policies, no organisation can afford to be complacent in managing its energy efficiently.

Evidence shows that adopting structured management techniques to energy management can result in significant savings.

There has never been a better time for any organisation large or small to move forward and adopt a strategic formal approach to managing its energy system.

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