ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management
ISO 50001 process: from self-assessment to verifiable certificate
You answer 32 yes/no questions online, and the certificate reaches you within 4 hours after passing and payment. No auditor visits your site. SICE reviews every assessment, and anyone can check the certificate by number or QR code.
01: Steps
The ISO 50001 process in six steps
The route is short because it runs entirely online. Each step has one job.
Open the self-assessment
Start it on zertify.ch. It is free and needs no registration. It contains 32 yes/no questions on your energy management system.
Answer the questions
Thirteen questions are mandatory requirements of the standard and must all be answered yes. Of the other 19, at least 13 must be yes.
Pass and pay
Once you have passed, you buy the certificate. You do not need an account to do so.
Review by SICE
SICE reviews your assessment before anything is issued. You do not have to do anything during this step.
Receive the certificate
You get a PDF with a certificate number and a QR code.
Confirm it every year
A short online re-audit confirms the certificate each year. The certificate is valid for 3 years.
02: Self-assessment
What do the 32 questions ask?
The questions follow the requirements of ISO 50001:2018 for an energy management system. Each one is answered with yes or no, so there is no text to write and no document to upload.
| Question group | Questions | To pass |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory requirements of the standard | 13 | All 13 answered yes |
| Further questions | 19 | At least 13 answered yes |
| Total | 32 | Both conditions met |
A business without an energy baseline will not get past the mandatory group. That is intended: the certificate confirms a system that exists in your company.
03: Preparation
What to have ready before you start
Collect what your energy management system already contains. Each answer is quicker when you can check it against a record instead of memory.
- Energy baseline
- A reference period with consumption data, for example from your electricity, gas and heating invoices. Later savings are measured against it.
- Significant energy uses
- The few consumers that account for most of your energy: compressed air, process heat, refrigeration or the lighting of a warehouse.
- Energy performance indicators
- A measurable figure such as kWh per tonne produced or per square metre of heated floor area.
- Objectives and action plans
- Written targets, each with an owner, a measure and a deadline.
- Procurement rule
- A rule that energy performance counts when you buy machines, vehicles or building services.
- Monitoring and review
- Regular meter readings and a check of whether the figures improve.
04: Review
What happens after you pass
Your answers go to SICE for review. The certificate is issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE and reaches you within 4 hours after passing and payment.
The PDF carries a certificate number and a QR code. Scanning the code opens the public verification page. A customer, a purchasing department or a tender office can see there that the certificate is genuine and still valid.
Each year a short online re-audit confirms the certificate. If you cancel the subscription, the certificate ends with the paid year.
05: Zertify
Where Zertify fits in
Zertify is the platform that runs this process. The requirements are those of ISO 50001:2018, which the standard page describes in detail. The price is CHF 749 (€749) in the first year, then CHF 499 (€499) per year including the yearly online re-audit. For customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT.
The yearly fee is an automatic subscription. You can cancel it at any time in your customer account, effective at the end of the current year. A business that certifies against two standards gets 20% off, and one that certifies against three or more gets 30%. The discount also applies to the yearly fee.
06: Comparison
How does it compare with the classic audit route?
The classic route means an on-site audit by a certification body. It suits some situations better, so the comparison below is meant to help you choose.
| Aspect | Zertify | Classic route |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Online self-assessment with 32 questions | On-site audit by a certification body |
| Visit to your site | None | Auditors on site |
| Time to certificate | Within 4 hours after passing and payment | Indicative: several weeks to a few months, depending on the audit calendar |
| Price | Published: first-year price and yearly fee | Quote from the certification body; indicative, varies widely with company size |
| Yearly follow-up | Short online re-audit | Indicative: usually a yearly audit |
Read the wording of the requirement you have to meet. If a customer expressly asks for an on-site audit, the classic route is the right one. If a supplier questionnaire or tender asks for a valid ISO 50001 certificate, a verifiable certificate may be what you need.
07: FAQ
Questions about the ISO 50001 process
08: Guide
Related pages
Start your ISO 50001 self-assessment
Answer the 32 questions and see whether your energy management meets the standard.
Free and without registration.