US DOE 50001 Ready Recognition
50001 Ready-recognized sites receive a recognition certificate with its organization and site location (city, state) listed on the 50001 Ready recognition web page. Energy performance data reported to the 50001 Ready program will only be disclosed by DOE at a program-wide, aggregate level. Organizations will be given the opportunity to share more information about their 50001 Ready experience through DOE developed case studies and other materials if they would like.
DOE 50001 Ready recognition does not indicate that your 50001 Ready project is conformant to ISO 50001 or will pass an ISO 50001 audit.
50001 Ready Recognition Requirements
Energy management is a continual improvement journey. When you feel that your site has embraced the guidance of each Navigator task, DOE wants to celebrate your success!
Guidelines for all Projects:
- While the 50001 Ready Navigator is free for anyone to use, DOE 50001 Ready recognition is available only to sites physically located within the United States.
- Only energy sources that constitute 5% or more of total site wide energy consumption need to be reported.
- DOE 50001 Ready recognition is valid for one year. To maintain recognition status, sites should plan to re-attest on an annual basis.
- DOE requires the Self-attestation Form and Energy Performance Improvement Report be completed and uploaded via the 50001 Ready Navigator:
For Projects Seeking First Time Annual Recognition
Complete the 25 Navigator tasks, then fill out and upload the following two documents using the document upload buttons when submitting your project for recognition:
- Self-attestation Form: This form, signed by your energy team lead and a senior management representative, asserts that your site has completed the 25 tasks of the 50001 Ready Navigator and is committed to continually improving your energy management system and energy performance.
- Energy Performance Improvement Report: Demonstrate you have a site-wide understanding of your energy consumption by completing only the first two sections on the, “Report,” tab:
- Section 1 (Project Information)
- Section 2 (Energy Consumption)
With your newly developed energy management system, this should be simple since you identified this information for your own use as part of Task 8 Energy Data Collection and Analysis and optionally in the Energy Consumption Tracker resource.
Optionally, you may complete Section 3 (Energy Performance Improvement) on the “Report” tab of the Energy Performance Improvement Report. This additional information will not affect your first-time recognition request but will help us improve the 50001 Ready program.
Download the 50001 Ready Energy Performance Improvement Report
For Projects Seeking Subsequent Annual Recognitions
DOE 50001 Ready recognition is valid for one year. Sites seeking subsequent year recognitions are required to submit the following using the document upload buttons below:
Self-attestation Form: A new self-attestation form signed by your energy team lead and a senior management representative stating that your site continues to maintain your energy management system.
Note that prior to every third year of subsequent annual recognition, the completion status for the 25 tasks within the 50001 Ready Navigator is automatically re-set to “In Progress” and you will need to re-affirm their completion by changing their status in the software. This step provides an opportunity to revisit the 50001 Ready Navigator content and ensure your energy management system is in line with the Navigator guidance. All 25 tasks need to be marked “Complete” in order to submit for 50001 Ready recognition.
Energy Performance Improvement Report: Demonstrate you have a site wide understanding of your energy consumption as well as energy performance improvement by using one of the approved methods listed below and completing all three sections on the, “Report,” tab: Sections 1 (Project Information), 2 (Energy Consumption), and 3 (Energy Performance Improvement).
Note that you may have a change in energy performance that is negative. Please report your negative energy performance improvement. Two consecutive years of negative energy performance improvement is allowed for recognition though a positive energy performance improvement value must be shown after those two years.
Note that you may have already established a process for determining energy performance improvement as part of Task 11 Energy Performance Indicators and Energy Baselines. Just make sure this process conforms to one of the approved methods listed in the “Determining Site Wide Energy Performance Improvement” section below if you are seeking 50001 Ready recognition.
Download the 50001 Ready Energy Performance Improvement Report
Requesting 50001 Ready Recognition
After marking all 25 tasks of the 50001 Ready Navigator as complete, use the below buttons to upload your signed Self-attestation Form and Energy Performance Improvement Report. You must be logged into the 50001 Ready Navigator and have selected a project with all 25 tasks marked as “Complete” for the below buttons to be active. For subsequent year recognitions, the below buttons will be active two months prior to the current recognition expiration date.
Once you have uploaded the required documentation and submitted your site for recognition through the Navigator, you will receive an email confirmation from the 50001 Ready Help Desk (50001Ready@lbl.gov) confirming receipt. Once your submission has been reviewed, you will be contacted by the 50001 Ready Help Desk to set up a brief (5-10 minute) call to discuss your project details.
| Upload Attestation Form | |
| Upload Energy Performance Improvement Report | |
| Enter Certificate Information |
Reporting Periods for Energy Consumption and Energy Performance Improvement
| Parameter | Requirement |
| Current Reporting Period |
For first-time annual recognition requests: The Current Reporting Period is a consecutive 12-month time span that can be established with a starting date up to 25 months prior to the 50001 Ready recognition request date. Sites are highly encouraged to establish the Current Reporting Period so that it ends as close to the 50001 Ready recognition request date as possible. The below illustration shows the earliest option to establish the Current Reporting Period based upon a first-time 50001 Ready recognition request date of January 1, 2020. With the first-time 50001 Ready recognition request date of January 1 the Current Reporting Period could start anywhere beginning December 1, 2017 to January 1, 2019.
For subsequent annual recognition requests: The Current Reporting Period is the 12-month period that follows immediately after the Prior Reporting Period. If there is a gap greater than 6 months between 50001 Ready Recognitions contact the 50001 Ready Help Desk for guidance on establishing a new Reporting Period. Alternatively, sites may elect to report a first-time reporting period that aligns with any reporting period used for other energy related programs. If choosing this option for subsequent year recognitions, there may be a gap between the Current Reporting Period and the Prior Reporting Period that is greater than 6 months as a result of this initial adjustment period. The 50001 Ready Help Desk can assist you with aligning your reporting period for subsequent year reporting. |
| Prior Reporting Period |
For first-time annual recognition request: No Prior Reporting Period will exist. For subsequent annual recognition requests: The Prior Reporting Period is the same 12-month period as the Current Reporting Period for the previous 50001 Ready recognition. The below illustration continues the example provided above focused on establishing the first Current Reporting Period.
Note: Small gaps between the new Current and Prior Reporting Periods due to new 50001 Ready recognition requests being submitted slightly before or after the 12-month expiration date of the prior recognition period may occur and are acceptable. If a gap of more than 6 months develops, contact the 50001 Ready Help Desk for guidance on establishing a new Current Reporting Period and a Prior Reporting Period to use. |
| Energy sources | All entering the site unless the energy source is less than 5% of total site energy consumption |
| Data collection frequency | At least monthly |
Determining Site-wide Energy Performance Improvement
Options for Calculating Energy Performance Improvement for All 50001 Ready Navigator Projects
| Method | Comments | |||||||||
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Energy intensity Resources: |
Introduction Energy Intensity is measured by the quantity of energy required per unit of output or activity. Reporting an improvement (positive or negative) in site-wide energy performance can be made by comparing the energy intensity of the current reporting period to the prior reporting period. When reporting energy performance improvement as a percentage:
50001 Ready Navigator and Data Collection As part of the 50001 Ready Navigator Task 8 Energy Data Collection and Analysis you will have collected energy consumption and relevant variable data. The output of this data collection can be used to calculate energy intensity-based energy performance improvement with a prominent relevant variable such as occupancy or production level. Additional Guidance The “Facility-Level Energy Intensity Approach,” section of DOE’s Better Plants Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance document details how to calculate energy intensity based energy performance improvement. The Better Plants program is a corporate focused recognition program but the methods and guidance in the supporting document can be applied at the site level. Calculating Energy Intensity based Energy Performance Improvement Energy Performance Improvement Report The required Energy Performance Report includes a feature to calculate energy intensity-based energy performance improvement. On the, “Report,” tab under Section 3, “Energy Performance Improvement,” you can enter the 12- month Current Reporting and 12-month Prior Reporting Period “output or activity level values.” To use the calculator, you only need to provide the numeric values for the unit of output or activity, not the unit itself (i.e., if you are calculating energy intensity based upon volume of production, floor area, or occupancy, you only need the quantitative value associated with these metrics and not list the metrics themselves). For example, if you measure energy intensity based on the total building area within your scope, and your total area is 800,000 ft2, then simply enter “800,000” as the output or activity value. EnPI Tool DOE provides a software tool that can be used to calculate energy intensity-based energy performance improvement. The tool, as well as a tutorial, is available online. Users enter site-wide energy consumption and relevant variable data, and the tool allows users to calculate improvement in energy intensity. |
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Linear regression model Resources: |
Introduction A linear regression model utilizes statistical analysis to provide normalized site-wide energy consumption accounting for the effects of relevant variables such as changes in production, occupancy, and weather. If successfully developed, regression models can provide a more insightful understanding of a site’s relationship of energy to controllable and uncontrollable variables than an energy intensity-based approach can. When a useable regression model is developed it can be advantageous to use it for multiple years until it is statistically no longer valid or the relevant variables no longer reflect to operations and equipment at the site. When reporting Current Reporting Period energy performance improvement as a percentage use the below equation which is based upon equation 6 of the Better Plants Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance document:
where
The above equation is based upon equation 4 of the Better Plants Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance document and is specific to forecast modeling. Equations 5 and 6 of the same document can be used for chaining and backcast modeling. 50001 Ready Navigator and Data Collection As part of the 50001 Ready Navigator Task 8 Energy Data Collection and Analysis you will have collected energy consumption and relevant variable data. The output of this data collection can be used to calculate energy performance improvement using multiple relevant variables in a linear regression model. The Energy Consumption Tracker presented in Task 8 Energy Data Collection and Analysis can be used as an input file to the online EnPI Lite Tool described below. Additional Guidance The DOE’s Better Plants Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance provide guidance on how to develop and use linear regression models to calculate energy performance improvement. Calculating Linear Regression Model based Energy Performance Improvement EnPI Lite Tool EnPI Lite is an online regression engine for public use that can be used to demonstrate energy performance improvement. EnPI Lite accepts inputs from the Energy Consumption Tracker presented in Task 8 Energy Data Collection and Analysis, DOE’s Footprint Tool, and DOE’s Footprint Tool Lite to perform regression-based modeling. The Energy Footprint Tool Overview and Tour details how to format data for entry into the EnPI Lite Tool. The EnPI Lite too may produce multiple valid models for each energy source. Use your best engineering judgement to select the model(s) that best describe how your facility uses energy. For example, if steam is used throughout the production process of a product, the model for the energy source that is used to generate steam (e.g., natural gas) should include a production variable. As another example, if the major uses of electricity in your facility are electric heating and cooling, then HDD and CDD should appear in your model of electricity. EnPI Tool The EnPI tool, as well as a tutorial, is available online. Users enter site-wide energy consumption and relevant variable data and the tool allows users to calculate improvement in energy performance. |
Options for Calculating Energy Performance Improvement for Energy Efficiency Program Participants
Participants of the programs listed below may use the energy performance improvement value determined as part of the program to complete the 50001 Ready Energy Performance Report.
| Program | Comments |
| Partners in the DOE Better Plants program |
Better Plants Annual Report, with data reported at the site level rather than the corporate level. The Better Plants Annual Report allows for reporting intensity and regression-based energy performance improvement values. Please refer to the Better Plants Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance document for details. If you are a Better Plants partner and do not have access to your most recent Better Plants Annual Report at the site level, contact your Technical Account Manager for assistance. |
| Participants of the DOE Better Buildings Challenge | Better Buildings Challenge Annual Report, with data reported at the site level rather than the corporate level. See the Better Buildings Challenge website for more information. |
| EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager users |
Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager may be used to collect information needed to demonstrate energy performance and energy performance improvement. For project’s seeking 50001 Ready recognition using Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager, follow the steps for getting it done below:
For more information, refer to the guidance documents on Reporting 50001 Ready Energy Performance and Energy Performance Improvement with Portfolio Manager: |
| EPA ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry | ENERGY STAR Energy Performance Indicator reports can be used with Portfolio Manager or the EnPI Lite tool. |
| Select utility energy efficiency programs associated with a DOE 50001 Ready Partner that have a Measurement and Verification (M&V) process approved by DOE for use with the 50001 Ready program. | Contact your program administrator to see if the utility sponsoring your energy efficiency or customer engagement program is associated with a 50001 Ready Partner and has their M&V process approved by DOE for use with the 50001 Ready program. |