The energy management team brings together relevant expertise to guide development, implementation, operation, maintenance, and continual improvement of the energy management system (EnMS). The size and composition of the team will vary, depending on the size and structure of the organization, the scope of the EnMS, and the resources made available by top management. In very small organizations, the responsibilities of the team can be carried out by an individual.

Persons with appropriate technical expertise and understanding of energy concepts, energy management, and energy performance should be part of the energy team. However, it is not required that all energy team members be energy experts or have a technical background. Persons who are established in the organization and have the respect of peers and management, as well as those who have expressed interest in participating on the team, are also desirable.

In forming the energy team, consider representatives from functional areas dealing with the selection, procurement, consumption, reliability, disposal, and environmental impacts of fuels and energy systems. Also consider individuals who are familiar with ISO or other continual improvement-based management systems. The following functional areas are often considered by organizations implementing ISO 50001 and forming their energy management team:

• Engineering
• Maintenance
• Site management
• Procurement
• Production
• Quality
• Environmental
• Administration
• Accounting/Finance

Suppliers, contractors, tenants, or customers may also have a role in your organization’s energy management activities. If appropriate, consider including their representatives on the energy team.

Developing a team roster is a helpful best practice for listing team members, recording contact information to support team communications, and verifying multi-functional representation. The optional Playbook worksheet contains a team roster matrix.

As part of assembling the team, or after the team is formed, it can be helpful to identify and authorize an energy team leader. Often this person is the energy manager, site director, or someone experienced with ISO management systems or energy-using equipment and systems. In the best case, specific skill sets can enhance the ability of the energy team leader to be successful.

Desirable skills of an energy team leader include the following:

• Leadership
• Interpersonal skills, including written and verbal communication
• Organizational skills
• Program management
• Time management
• Problem solving
• Conflict management
• Energy/technical background and/or experience with continual improvement-based management systems
• Computer proficiency

Once the team has been established, it is critically important that it is authorized and resourced by top management to carry out its assigned roles and responsibilities. This is true, regardless of the levels of the job positions and authorities held by the various team members. The team will be overseeing the EnMS, and it cannot succeed if it is not appropriately empowered to execute its tasks without jeopardizing the regular job functions of the team members.

The authorization of the team should be communicated broadly across the organization by top management. This helps convey the importance top management is placing on energy management and energy performance improvement and promotes cooperation that the energy team needs from across the organization.

Management supports the energy team by allowing them the time and resources necessary to conduct the activities associated with their responsibilities.

Establish regular team meetings to promote continuity of EnMS development, and to provide for progress reviews and task assignments, and to address issues. The meeting length and frequency may vary, but the meetings should include teamwork sessions to address specific topics related to EnMS development and implementation.

One of the first team meetings should include training on ISO 50001 and the 50001 Ready Navigator. If your organization may eventually pursue certification, purchase copies of the ISO 50001:2018 standard and distribute them among team members. Team members need to be familiar with the standard’s requirements, particularly those requirements related to their area of responsibility on the team. This training can be conducted internally if there is in-house expertise in the requirements of the standard, or if there is not, by an external training provider.

During initial development of the EnMS, your team will meet frequently to make plans, schedule activities, assign responsibilities, and review progress. From the start, ensure your team members are familiar with their individual team roles and responsibilities. Consider developing a team charter to clarify and communicate the overall expectations for team members. Use common project management techniques to define and manage the implementation schedule and tasks, along with their assignment and completion.

As EnMS development progresses, additional expertise may be needed on the team to address details associated with specific EnMS requirements; for example, design and procurement. Review progress regularly and consider if additional team members are needed to address certain topics or implementation issues.

Upon full implementation of the EnMS, the team will ensure its continued operation and manage activities for continual improvement. It may be appropriate to reduce the team size once the system has been established and effectively implemented. However, the team is a key component in the ongoing operation of the EnMS, and sufficient cross-functional membership and activity level should be maintained to ensure that it continues to meet its responsibilities and is effective.

Roles and responsibilities in the EnMS are not limited to top management and the energy team. Although employees do not necessarily affect energy management and energy performance to the same extent, everyone within the organization is responsible for meeting the EnMS requirements relevant to their work areas. At a minimum, this is addressed by the awareness guidance of Task 15 Awareness and Communication.

However, as you develop and implement (or adapt) processes to meet the guidance of the 50001 Ready Navigator, it will become clear that there are other relevant roles that need to be addressed. These are likely to include, for example, EnMS responsibilities specific to personnel in maintenance, operations, procurement, site/building management, manufacturing engineering, documentation management, and finance/accounting, among others.

What is important is that EnMS responsibilities are identified, assigned, and communicated to the relevant personnel. Top management must ensure this happens. Common approaches to assigning and communicating these responsibilities include EnMS training, communication, and awareness activities; job descriptions or position statements; roles and responsibilities matrices; process flowcharts; and employee orientation or other on-boarding processes.

A 50001 Ready system needs relevant and accurate data to track and verify energy performance improvement and support good decision-making. One topic that should be given close attention is roles and responsibilities related to management of energy data and related information. Data must be retained as documented information. Energy data management roles can include the following:

• Identifying needed data
• Determining data sources and form
• Determining location of data and frequency of collection
• Acquiring data
• Verifying accuracy of data
• Recording and retaining data in the appropriate location
• Checking the ongoing functioning of the data collection process
• Studying the data management process to determine if something is missing

The above roles can be filled by a variety of organization personnel, including those outside the energy team. Appropriate training should be provided to personnel who are assigned data management roles but have an identified gap in their skills.

To help develop roles and responsibilities for energy data management, the Playbook worksheet may be useful. The roles and responsibilities may vary somewhat depending on your organization’s needs, but the general method of data identification, description of data sources, location and frequency of data collection, data acquisition and verification, and data recording should remain consistent. Ensure that those persons responsible for collecting data are appropriately trained for such responsibilities. Appropriate training could include:

• knowledge of energy and other metrics.
• meter selection and hook up (portable meters).
• meter reading.
• data recording.
• software use.
• equipment/process access.
• safety during measurement or accessing equipment.

The optional Playbook worksheet contains useful templates and examples to guide your development of data collection needs.

In addition to the resources needed by the energy team for initial implementation, it is important that processes are in place to determine and provide the resources needed for the effectiveness of the EnMS over time. Most organizations incorporate the review and determination of EnMS resources into the annual budgeting process, as well as the existing capital planning process, especially as related to the resources needed to execute action plans to achieve objectives and targets (see Task 13 Action Plans for Continual Improvement) and possibly actions undertaken to address risks and opportunities (see Task 7 Risks to EnMS Success). Other resources that may be needed could, for example, include training from external providers (e.g., EnMS internal auditor training), software for controlling and managing documented information, and new or additional metering. Resource needs are also considered as part of the management review process (see Task 23 Management Review). The energy team has a key role to play in identifying and communicating EnMS resource needs to top management.

Be sure to continue holding regular energy management team meetings and keep meeting minutes, and to fill any vacancies in the team roster.

The energy team leader and the energy team are who get things done for top management in the day-to-day operations of the EnMS. People at your site should know that there is an energy team and who the energy team leader is. The energy team helps to ensure the effectiveness of the EnMS.

It is a good idea to have a memo on letterhead from top management designating the Energy Management team leader and their authority and responsibilities, especially if planning to pursue ISO certification.

If you do not have an existing 50001 Ready-based EnMS and want to build one that helps your organization manage energy-related GHG emissions, for this task you should follow the guidance in the “Full Description” tab keeping the following in mind:

1. Form and authorize an energy management team.  Follow the guidance for developing an energy team, adding the responsibilities outlined above for energy-related GHG emissions.  Make sure the skills and competencies required to manage both energy and energy-related GHG emissions are represented in the team members. Ensure that top management understands that the team has responsibility and authority for the management of both energy and energy-related GHG emissions and that this responsibility is communicated broadly throughout the organization. 
2. Identify an energy team leader.  Consider including energy-related GHG emissions experience in the team leader’s desirable skills.  If the energy team leader, or members of the energy team, do not have experience with or understanding of energy-related GHG emissions, consider seeking training.
3. Address and communicate responsibilities for other relevant roles.  Make sure any other relevant roles needed to address energy-related GHG emissions are identified and communicated.  Make sure that key personnel who have relevant roles, such as maintenance, operations, procurement, site management, and engineering, among others, understand their responsibilities in regards to both energy and energy-related GHG emissions.
4. Identify and allocate the resources needed for the EnMS.  Make sure resources are available to manage and execute actions related to both energy and energy-related GHG emissions improvements.  Make sure these resources are included in any budgeting or capital planning processes.

If you have an existing 50001 Ready-based EnMS and want to adapt it to also manage energy-related GHG emissions, you should:

1. Review the energy team composition and obtain authorization to make any changes.  Review the skills of the existing energy team members, including the energy team leader, to make sure the skills and competencies required to manage energy-related GHG emissions are represented.  Provide the necessary training or change the team composition as needed.  Ensure that top management understands the additional responsibility and authority given to the team by adding the management of energy-related GHG emissions to the EnMS and that any changes to the energy team roster is authorized by top management.  Make sure that any significant changes to both the team composition and its responsibilities are communicated broadly throughout the organization. 
2. Address and communicate responsibilities for other relevant roles.  Review other relevant roles to see which need to be addressed when adapting the EnMS to manage energy-related GHG emissions.  Make sure that key personnel who have relevant roles, such as maintenance, operations, procurement, site management, and engineering, among others, understand:
   • Why GHG emissions are being added to their responsibilities
   • What the changes in their responsibilities entail.
3. Identify and allocate resources needed for the EnMS.  Review the existing resources available to the organization and to the energy team to make sure resources are available to address energy-related GHG emission performance.  Review any budgeting or capital planning processes to make sure they are updated to include resources needed for managing energy-related GHG emissions.

The guidance for this task is from the following sections from the ERP Framework: ERP Framework Milestone 1 and Milestone 5.

Due to the broad involvement required across an organization to enable successful decarbonization, engaging a diverse group of stakeholders across all levels is essential to defining a clear scope of work and forecasting additional financial and personnel resources that may be necessary to develop and implement the ERP. While all stakeholders may not need to be involved, there should be alignment on the organizational and operational boundaries of the GHG inventory and targets. (Milestone 1)

After establishing an inventory, the organization will define the scope of work required to develop the GHG Emissions Reduction Plan and plan for the financial and personnel resources needed to execute this scope of work. (Milestone 1)

Finally, the organization should Identify who will be responsible for implementing each component of the plan and consider whether additional staff will be needed to ensure a timely and successful implementation. Consider delegating authority to specific departments for project execution, while providing high-level guidance on policies, requirements, and acceptable technologies. (Milestone 5)

The ERP Industrial Framework does not prescribe creation of a team nor designating a team leader, but the energy management team assembled for the energy management system implementation is likely to have much of the expertise needed to develop the emissions reduction plan and implement it.  Including employees with experience in environmental management or reporting will be essential.

The guidance for Task 6 is found within the following sections of the ERP Industrial Framework:

Milestone 1:

Define GHG Emissions Reduction Plan scope of work – Define the scope of work for the ERP development process and outline what tasks will be included in an ERP.  Plan and assign staff time and financial resources required to complete these tasks.  If sufficient in-house expertise is not available, plans for identifying, vetting, and hiring external contractors may be necessary as well.

As part of implementing an EnMS, your organization also will form an energy team that will be responsible for ensuring that the EnMS is continually improved upon and its objectives are met. To implement water management as a part of your EnMS, you will also need personnel with water-related expertise. For this task you have the option of either creating a joint water and energy team or forming separate teams. Regardless of which option you choose, keep in mind that similar to the energy team, the water management team is responsible for ensuring that water efficiency is continually improved, and its objectives are met. When forming your water team (or the integrated water-energy team) pay attention to this section’s guidance.

The water team should have the full support of top management and be given the responsibility and authority for the following:

• Ensuring that water management is integrated into the EnMS and meets the guidance of the 50001 Ready Navigator
• Ensuring that the water management is established, operated, maintained, and continually improved
• Implementing action plans for water-related performance improvement
• Reporting to top management on water performance improvement
• Setting up criteria and methods to ensure effective operation and control of the water management

In addition, the water team will be responsible for ensuring that resources are available to ensure the effectiveness of the water management and the resulting water savings and water efficiency improvements.

As outlined by FEMP’s Water Manual section 2.2 (Form an Interdisciplinary Team) and EPA’s WaterSense step 1 (Making a Commitment), a water management team should be established with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In forming a dedicated water management team, make sure it includes people from all parts of the organization and a team leader is selected. The team leader (i.e., champion) is responsible for overseeing and implementing the water management program.

Make sure the team includes someone familiar with regulatory compliance and a facility or building manager with knowledge of the building’s infrastructure and major mechanical systems. The size of the team depends on the complexity of the facility; consider the following personnel when forming your team.

1. Energy manager
2. Operations and maintenance personnel
3. Planning professionals
4. Engineers
5. Landscape professionals
6. Environmental professionals
7. Contracting officer/procurement professional
8. Water providers
9. Technical experts
10. Occupants

Start with a core team of five to seven people and bring in others as needed. Clearly articulate the role of each member of the water management team. Bring in outside professionals if you do not have the right staff. Make sure the staff has the financial resources to track water use, maintain equipment, and implement cost-effective water use reduction projects.

Make sure to select a water management champion. A champion is necessary to provide guidance, maintain momentum, and infuse energy into project implementation. A champion often advocates for improvements and celebrates successes to support additional water-saving projects in the future.

Tools and Resources

• GSA’s Sustainable Facilities Tool (https://sftool.gov/learn/about/45/water-efficiency)
• Project Financing Resources (https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/energy-and-project-procurement-development-services)
• Water Efficiency and ESPCs (https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/downloads/water-efficiency-and-espcs-how-effective-are-espcs-integrating-innovative-water)

Use this Navigator task to choose appropriate personnel for ensuring the compliance of any corporate requirements. A cross functional team inclusive of personnel from, for example, operations and maintenance, procurement, housekeeping, food and beverage, and others is a best practice.

For ISO 50001:2018, the energy management team is an important construct. A team is not required by ISO 14001:2015 or ISO 9001:2015. However, both those standards do address top management support for personnel in relevant roles important to the management system.

The Energy Team that your organization formed in Step 1.2 of the ENERGY STAR^® Guidelines for Energy Management can effectively function as your energy team for ISO 50001. In the case of ENERGY STAR, the energy team is led by an Energy Director. For ISO 50001, the team is authorized by top management, and there are no specific requirements related to a team leader.