Energy Management Systems
About Energy Management Systems (EnMS)
The Lawrence Berkeley National Lab EnMS Team works with industrial and commercial organizations to address a core operational challenge: improving energy performance in ways that support productivity, reliability, and long-term business success.
What Energy Management Systems Does
As a national laboratory, we engage directly with private-sector leaders to identify fundamental research needs that advance U.S. industrial competitiveness. We translate those needs into practical solutions—developing tools, standards, and approaches that the market can scale to drive operational excellence across the country.
Through applied research and technical leadership, we help organizations make energy performance part of how they operate—enabling them to take control of their energy use in ways that are practical, cost-effective, and proven to deliver results. Our work is grounded in research based on continual learning from real-world use, ensuring our solutions evolve with industry needs while serving the public interest.
Why Energy Management Systems Matter
In today’s fast-paced, competitive markets, energy performance directly influences operational costs, productivity, and long-term resilience. In addition, a growing number of export markets are requiring quality and efficient manufacturing of imported goods. Research has shown that organizations that systematically manage their energy achieve greater efficiency, better productivity, and improved margins, with less waste. Energy affects every part of business performance—from operational costs to equipment uptime to the ability to scale.
Berkeley Lab’s research shows that organizations using structured energy management systems see consistent and lasting improvements. Participants in programs like DOE’s 50001 Ready often realize year-over-year energy savings of more than 3%, with results continuing for more than a decade. The benefits go beyond energy bills—they strengthen operations and make organizations more agile in the face of change.
“50001 Ready has proven critical in managing operations at GM efficiently… Our implementation enabled us to establish common processes and procedures to increase efficiency, optimize production, and aid in effective remote troubleshooting."
Bob Baird, Energy Sustainment Manager - General Motors
Our Mission and Approach
Our mission is to develop and deploy evidence-based energy management solutions to help organizations reach their energy-related objectives. Our approach is shaped by input from the people doing the work — engineers, energy managers, and business leaders alike.
Our work helps industrial and commercial organizations take control of their energy use in ways that are practical, cost-effective, and proven to deliver results.
An Ongoing Legacy of Leadership and Innovation
We work alongside manufacturers, commercial building owners, and service providers to accelerate the use of energy management systems that are grounded in real-world results. Our role is to make energy management easier to adopt, simpler to implement, and more impactful over time.
Our impacts includes:
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EnMS Technical Advisory Group Leadership: Supporting U.S. leadership in shaping ISO 50001 and related voluntary standards, ensuring they reflect practical, data-driven approaches that work for U.S. organizations of all sizes
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Program Development: Operating DOE’s 50001 Ready program — a no-cost platform used by hundreds of facilities to implement and sustain energy management practices without the need for third-party certification
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Applied Research and Collaboration: Conducting applied research in partnership with industry, utilities, and other stakeholders to deliver scalable, field-tested solutions that organizations can trust
