ISO 50001 is the international standard for energy management. It defines how an organisation establishes, operates and continually improves an energy management system (EnMS) so that energy use is managed systematically.
What does ISO 50001 require?
- An energy policy and top management commitment
- An energy review that identifies significant energy uses (SEUs)
- Energy performance indicators (EnPIs) and energy baselines (EnBs)
- Targets, action plans and follow-up
- Documentation, internal audits and continual improvement through the PDCA cycle
Certification and audits
Certification applies to the organisation’s energy management system, not to the software it uses. A certified organisation undergoes annual surveillance audits and recertification every three years. The rules for certification bodies are set out in ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO 50003.
When is ISO 50001 required?
Under the recast EU Energy Efficiency Directive, companies with an average annual energy consumption above 85 TJ must implement a certified energy management system. ISO 50001 is the most common way to meet that requirement. In Denmark, the deadline is 1 August 2026.
Is there approved software for ISO 50001?
Software is not certified under ISO 50001 itself. In Germany, however, software can be approved by the federal authority BAFA. Enity EMS is BAFA-listed and certified for energy management in Germany.
How Enity EMS supports ISO 50001
Enity EMS supports data collection and monitoring, energy performance analysis, EnPIs and baselines, targets, action plans and audit documentation. Coop, for example, uses Enity EMS in Denmark’s largest energy management system in retail, with data from 700 buildings and 9,300 meters.
Related terms
See it in action
Want to see how Enity EMS supports your ISO 50001 work? Book a demo and we will show you how it works with your own data.
Energy management is a systematic, leadership-backed way of working with energy. The organisation sets an energy policy, defines targets, implements measures and continuously checks whether energy performance is improving.
Energy management system (EnMS) vs. EMS
An energy management system (EnMS) is the set of processes, roles and documents that make energy management systematic. An energy management software platform (EMS) provides the data, analysis and documentation behind that work. You need both: the processes set the direction, and the software provides the data.
Plan, Do, Check, Act
Most energy management systems follow the PDCA cycle:
- Plan: energy policy, energy review, targets and action plans
- Do: implement measures and provide resources and skills
- Check: measure energy performance, for example with energy performance indicators (EnPIs), and run internal audits
- Act: adjust targets, plans and processes based on the results
When is energy management required?
The recast EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) requires companies with an average annual energy consumption above 85 TJ to implement a certified energy management system, for example to ISO 50001. Companies above 10 TJ must carry out regular energy audits. Deadlines and details depend on national implementation.
How Enity EMS supports energy management
Enity EMS provides automated data collection, analysis, baselines and targets, action plans and documentation. Combined with our energy advisors, the platform supports the full journey from energy monitoring to audit.
Related terms
See it in action
Want to see how Enity EMS supports energy management? Book a demo and we will show you how it works with your own data.
Energy monitoring is the continuous, automated collection, visualisation and analysis of consumption data for electricity, heating, water, gas and other resources. The goal is to give you an accurate, up to date picture of where, when and why energy is used.
How does energy monitoring work?
Data is collected automatically from meters, sensors and utilities, for example through DataHub in Denmark. The system brings everything into one place and presents consumption in dashboards, KPIs and reports. When consumption deviates from normal, the system alerts you so the issue can be investigated straight away.
Why does energy monitoring matter?
- Spot waste and faults, such as running toilets or equipment left on overnight
- Document the impact of energy saving measures
- Build the data foundation for energy management, ISO 50001 and carbon accounting
- Compare buildings and sites with KPIs such as kWh per m²
Energy monitoring and energy management
Energy monitoring is the foundation. Energy management is the wider discipline where data is used to set targets, prioritise actions and follow up. Without reliable monitoring, there is nothing to manage against. Read more in our questions about energy management.
How Enity EMS supports energy monitoring
Enity EMS automatically collects data across electricity, water, heating, cooling, fuel and waste and brings it together in one platform. Our customers see average energy savings of 10 to 30%, based on data from more than 20,000 buildings and 90,000 meters.
Related terms
See it in action
Want to see what energy monitoring looks like in Enity EMS? Book a demo and we will show you how it works with your own data.
