ISO 50001 gives Salling Group full control over energy consumption
Energy management is no longer optional – it is a legal requirement. The EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) requires companies to improve their energy consumption through management systems such as ISO 50001. When Salling Group decided to ISO 50001 certify 340 German Netto stores, along with associated logistics warehouses and administrative buildings, it was not merely a matter of compliance, but a strategic decision to create transparency, control, and consistency across a complex organization. “Impressive work,” says Lead Auditor Kristian Schultz Breinbjerg.
“Sometimes legislation can help turn ambitions into reality. It makes the work visible and prioritized – also at an organizational level,” says Kristian Schultz Breinbjerg, who is an ISO 50001 Lead Auditor at Bureau Veritas. For a year, he has been involved in an ambitious project initiated by Salling Group.
Consistent management in a complex organization
The project included more than 340 Netto stores in Germany, as well as associated logistics warehouses and administrative buildings, all of which were to be ISO 50001 certified. The standard requires systematic mapping, monitoring, and improvement of energy consumption across Salling Group’s many different buildings and installations.
About ISO 50001
ISO 50001 is the international standard for energy management. In Germany, companies must be able to document their energy consumption and their efforts to improve energy efficiency. ISO 50001 serves as a structured management system that ensures compliance while also creating business value.
Read about ISO 50001 certification
The certification was a complex task, as the individual locations had different technical installations and local conditions. This made it difficult to compare consumption and ensure consistent management across sites.
As a result, the task required not only technical expertise and local insight, but also a certification body with experience in handling complex organizations like Salling Group.
In collaboration with Bureau Veritas, which acted as the certification body for the project, the task was successfully completed. Bureau Veritas’ international setup and broad experience were crucial, but according to Kristian Schultz Breinbjerg, success also requires something in return:
“Salling Group entered the project well prepared. They had done an exceptionally thorough job ahead of the system audit and the rollout in Germany. This forms the foundation for the success of establishing a generic system to support Salling Group’s activities across the EU. It is very impressive to see a system that succeeds in handling such large volumes of data,” he says, following a successful project that was celebrated with the presentation of the certificate.
“With ISO 50001, we have elevated energy management to a strategic management level. The certification provides the necessary structure to align our ambitions with day-to-day operations and enables us to make more informed decisions on a stronger, data-driven basis.”
Martin Brix Kortegaard, Senior Manager - Energy & Sustainability fra Salling Group
ISO 50001 provides full transparency and daily insight
In the past, energy consumption has been a secondary focus for many companies. Operations and uptime took priority, while energy use was rarely actively managed.
With the EU’s increased focus on climate, energy management has moved to the executive level. The EU has set a target to reduce energy consumption by 11.7% by 2030. For companies, this means that energy management can no longer be handled on an ad hoc basis, but must be documented, managed, and improved systematically. Without a structured management system, it becomes difficult both to meet requirements and to prioritize the right initiatives.
This is where ISO 50001 becomes a key management tool. With ISO 50001, companies can gain a comprehensive overview of consumption, deviations, and potential improvements.
For Salling Group, the objective of the ISO 50001 certification was to establish a solid and future-proof foundation for energy management based on data, insight, and a structured approach. Even prior to certification, they had a strong focus on energy consumption and a solid data foundation. With ISO 50001, energy management has been elevated and systematized, enabling data to be used more actively to create transparency, comparability, and decision support across the organization.
“At Salling Group, we have always had a strong focus on our energy initiatives, but with ISO 50001, we have elevated energy management to a strategic management level. The certification provides the necessary structure to link our ambitions with day-to-day operations and enables us to make more impactful decisions on a well-informed basis,” says Martin Brix Kortegaard, Senior Manager – Energy & Sustainability at Salling Group.
He elaborates further on the collaboration:
“It has been a pleasure to witness the close collaboration between our central teams, our German colleagues in Netto, and Bureau Veritas. The ability to collaborate across borders and areas of expertise is exactly what has made this project a success and ensured that our professional approach to energy is now embedded in a strong, shared management framework that creates real business value.”
With ISO 50001, Salling Group has:
- a complete energy accounting of kilowatt-hours across stores, warehouses, and administrative functions
- key metrics at monthly, weekly, and daily levels
- a dashboard displaying deviations in real time
- the ability to forecast consumption and make ongoing adjustments
“Data collection is not necessarily a major challenge. What is far more challenging, however, is converting large volumes of data into clear and easily understandable key figures and trends.”
Is the ISO 50001 standard new to you?
For many companies, it already is – or will soon become – a requirement to work systematically with energy consumption, documentation, and continuous improvement. ISO 50001 is the international standard for energy management. How do you put it into practice? You can find the answer at our ISO 50001 Inspiration Seminar. We will step by step walk you through the key requirements of the standard and provide concrete real-world examples.
View the ISO 50001 course
“It has been a pleasure to witness the close collaboration between our central teams, our German colleagues in Netto, and Bureau Veritas. The ability to collaborate across borders and areas of expertise is exactly what has made this project a success.”
Martin Brix Kortegaard, Senior Manager - Energy & Sustainability fra Salling Group
A stronger basis for decision-making – not just a certificate
Day-to-day operations for the stores have changed very little. Energy consumption is centrally managed and is largely calendar- and system-based. However, for the organization as a whole, ISO 50001 has changed the way decisions are made.
The greatest benefit lies not in the volume of data, but in the ability to turn it into action. With ISO 50001, Salling Group can:
- identify the biggest energy consumers (refrigeration, ventilation, and heat pumps)
- prioritize major savings over minor ones
- compare geographical differences from north to south
- share knowledge across technical teams and locations
– And plans have already been put in place for the future replacement of technical installations and for better engagement of suppliers in energy management.
Rather than simply complying with a legal requirement, Salling Group has turned the certification into an active management tool. A management tool that creates an overview, reduces risk, and makes energy management an integrated part of the business – not a parallel discipline.
“It is essential for companies that a management system such as ISO 50001 delivers visible results. If results are not delivered, it can negatively impact management support. It is important to recognize that a company’s primary objective is to run a fundamentally profitable business,” says Kristian Breinbjerg, who, as an experienced Lead Auditor at Bureau Veritas, has seen many different approaches to certification and knows that those who understand and use certification as an active management tool gain the greatest return on their investment.
For Salling Group, the next step is to scale the structure and integrate more countries into the same energy management system, using the same data-driven approach and maintaining a continued focus on ensuring that energy management delivers real business value.
Strong collaboration and an auditor with an understanding of your industry are crucial to gaining real value from your investment in ISO 50001 certification. If you are certified elsewhere, you can easily switch certification body — and you are welcome to reach out to us for a no-obligation conversation.
