Transition to ISO 50001:2018

The 2018 version of ISO 50001 was released on 21 August 2018. With this release, ISO 50001:2011 will be withdrawn. Due to Covid-19 and the dispositions given by IAF, the transition arrangements and connected timelines are extended with 6 months; the transition end date is changed from 21 August 2021 to 21 February 2022.

ISO 50001 provides requirements for a systematic, data-driven and facts-based process, focused on continually improving energy performance. The key explicit intended outcomes from implementing the standard is to achieve continual improvement in energy performance and the energy management system. 

Main changes in ISO 50001:2018  

The main objectives and scope of the revision as stated in the design specifications from the ISO Working Group (TC242) were:

1. Adopt the ISO High Level Structure (HLS), common for all ISO standards, to ensure compatibility with other ISO Management System standards
2. Ensure that core concepts of 2011-edition are retained, such as: 

• continual improvement of energy performance; 
• focus throughout the standard to improve energy efficiency, energy consumption and energy use; 
• include the necessary energy specific topics related to energy performance such as energy data, monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation.

Since ISO 50001:2018 applies the HLS, it follows the same structure as other widely applied ISO standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. This simplifies integration with other management systems. 

Users familiar with ISO 50001:2011 will recognize that most of the requirements of the ISO 50001:2011 are continued in ISO 50001:2018. This is particularly the case for the more energy specific elements and requirements, which is not a surprise with the stated objective for the revision. There are some new and revised requirements, most of them due changes induced by the HLS. However, there are also some other energy specific changes, mainly to foster clarifications to the requirements based on experience from use of the 2011-edition. Learn more about the changes here.

Choose the transition package that suits your needs

DNV can guide you from preparations to transition to the new standard. As different companies need different levels of support to transition, we have prepared three transition packages that can support you on your transition journey. They include everything from basic awareness sessions and material to self-assessments and migration audits – depending on your need:

Get started on your transition process

We recommend to start preparing for the transition as early as possible and plan properly to incorporate needed changes into your management system. 

Recommended steps for the transition:

• Get to know the content and requirements of ISO 50001:2018. The standard is available for purchase from ISO and from your national standards provider. If you are a current user of ISO 50001:2011 you should focus on the changes in requirements. 
• Ensure that relevant personnel in your organization is trained and understand the requirements and key changes.
• Identify gaps which need to be addressed to meet the new requirements and establish an implementation plan. Implement actions and update your management system to meet the new requirements.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of implementation through internal audits and define further actions where needed.

Our auditors are prepared and have overview of the changes and what is required to transition from ISO 50001:2011 to ISO 50001:2018. We can support you in all phases of the transition, so that you can start preparing, assess your level of readiness and efficiently complete that transition.

How can DNV support your implementation?

Various services to support your transition process can be provided, and can include: 

• Seminars, webinars, e-learning, self-assessment checklists etc. where you typically learn about the standard and where you get a basic overview of the content and key changes compared with ISO 50001:2011, the transition process etc.
• Tutored training courses, in-company or public. The objective of these courses is to provide detailed insight into the content and changes and about the required steps for transition. These are modular courses where the level of detail can be tailored to your needs.
• Gap assessment (workshops) where we assess your management system against the requirements of the new standard and identify the gaps that need to be addressed. This will provide useful input to your process to comply with the new standard. The level of detail of such assessment can be tailored to your needs.
• Transition audits.