Energy Management and ISO 50001:2011

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) issued a new standard ISO 50001 - Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use in June 2011. This standard defines requirements for energy management systems including energy efficiency, energy performance, energy supply, measurement and continual improvement of energy usage.
ISO 50001 was created by a TC 242 (Technical Committee) that was established in 2008.
Centauri Business Group (formerly QPRC) invited Edwin Pinero, chair of ISO TC 242, to answer our questions:

CBG: Please tell us about your professional background and your current role as a chair of ISO TC 242 Energy Management.

Edwin Pinero: I am currently the Chief Sustainability Officer for Veolia Water North America, a global water services provider. With over 30 years of experience, I have worked in the sustainability, environmental, and energy field both in the private and public sector. I am a geologist by education. In 2008, I became the chair of the newly created ISO 50001 Energy Management System committee (Technical Committee 242). That role involves facilitating and shepherding the work of approximately 50 nations in developing the energy management system standard and related documents.

CBG: What factors initiated the creation of ISO TC 242 back in 2008 and the development of the first international standard on Energy Management ISO 50001:2011? 

Edwin Pinero: The main factor was the realization that energy management is a key component of addressing the energy global energy issues. Sound energy management would lead to improved efficiency, smarter energy-related decisions by organizations regarding process and capital improvements, and mo use of renewable energy. Related to this point was the fact that organizations realized that holistic management system approach, using the plan, do, check, act model, would make robust energy management more feasible. With these beliefs in mind, it was clear that ISO should play a leadership role and develop a management system standard in the spirit of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000.

CBG: ISO 50001:2011 includes references to a number of national or industry standards on Energy Management. Which of these standards most influenced the development of ISO 50001:2011? 

Edwin Pinero: As with other ISO standards, several reference documents were consulted. For ISO 50001, I would contend that the US ANSI standard, Management System for Energy (MSE 2000) and the EU standard (PrEn 16001), were the main documents. 

CBG: Please let us know about upcoming projects and activities of ISO TC 242. 

Edwin Pinero: Now that ISO 50001 is published, the TC will embark on work on a series of documents that deal with energy auditing, energy management system auditing, energy measurement, among other topics. Work will begin in earnest at the 2011 plenary meeting in Washington, DC in early November.

CBG: In addition to being a chair of ISO TC 242 Energy management you also hold a position of an Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Veolia Water Corporation. Please tell us about the relationship between Energy Management and Corporate Sustainability. 

Edwin Pinero: Energy management is a key element of sustainability. Considering the many implications of using energy, such as: cost, resource consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution.