In 2011, ISO 50001 standard was published, concerning energy management systems, that allows companies to implement policies or extremely effective actions with regards to energy, with economic and environmental benefits.
The standard recommends guide lines that each organisation should follow in order to develop and manage its energy system and assists the energy manager, who is the subject responsible for the management system, thus representing an essential tool to face this importance challenge. The management process must aim at constant improvement and therefore it must be monitored by checking the systems’ energy conditions on a regular basis through energy audits; the energy audit is therefore essential for any management cycle.

In this regards, ISO 50001 standard on energy management systems provides useful general information to organisations in attaining energy efficiency; the standard does not provide binding requirements but on the contrary, invites any organisation to develop and manage its own energy system, balancing the actions and commitment according to its needs. Even in cases where the energy impact is less relevant, many interventions boast benefits with zero expense or by investing a small amount of money, such as for example, by raising awareness and proper behaviours among staff.