New Energy Efficiency Standardization Roadmap Establishes National Framework for Action

NEW YORK, June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the release today of the Standardization Roadmap: Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment, U.S. industry, government, standards developing organizations (SDOs) and other energy efficiency stakeholders now have a national framework for action and coordination on future energy efficiency standardization. Developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative (EESCC) – a cross-sector group chaired by representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Schneider Electric – the roadmap charts 125 recommendations to advance energy efficiency within the built environment.

According to the DOE, our nation's buildings account for more than 70 percent of total U.S. electricity use and 40 percent of the nation's total energy bill, at a cost of $400 billion dollars per year. With 20 percent or more of this energy wasted, comparable reductions in energy have the potential to save an estimated $80 billion annually. Standards, codes, and conformity assessment programs offer significant opportunities for energy and cost savings and improved energy efficiency capabilities for the nation's buildings. The roadmap identifies many such opportunities, detailing recommendations and timelines for action across five interrelated areas of focus:

• Chapter One: Building Energy and Water Assessment and Performance Standards outlines 46 recommendations to address identified standardization gaps in these areas
• Chapter Two: System Integration and Systems Communications details 9 gaps and recommendations examining how building subsystems could be integrated in order to manage the energy use of a building or campus of buildings for maximum efficiency
• Chapter Three: Building Energy Rating, Labeling, and Simulation outlines 22 recommendations to address identified standardization gaps
• Chapter Four: Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification (EM&V) details 32 gaps and recommendations to advance the field of EM&V
• Chapter Five: Workforce Credentialing puts forth 16 overarching recommendations to advance workforce credentialing for the energy efficiency field

Increased awareness and coordination among the public and private sectors on standards, codes, and conformity assessment can help quicken the pace of energy efficiency technology development and deployment. To this end, the roadmap establishes a framework to which U.S. industry, government, standards developing organizations, and others can look to enable greater energy efficiency capabilities for the nation's buildings.

The roadmap's recommendations for closing standardization gaps in the near-term (0-2 years), mid-term (2-5 years), and long-term (5+ years) are intended to map out a coordinated approach to energy efficiency standardization, and to assist SDOs in identifying priority areas for work, as well as opportunities for collaboration, consolidation, and harmonization. The roadmap is supplemented by the EESCC Inventory Database – a comprehensive, online source of information on relevant standards, codes, guidelines, and conformity assessment programs related to energy efficiency in the built environment.

More than 50 member organizations and 4 federal agencies, involving over 160 experts from industry, standards and code developing organizations, energy efficiency-focused organizations, educational institutions, and other groups, took part in the roadmap's development.

"Energy efficiency is a complex, cross-cutting issue that applies to all industry sectors, impacts multiple government agencies, and hits every stage in the life cycle of a building," said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. "The release of the energy efficiency standardization roadmap marks an important step forward in advancing a coordinated national approach to energy efficiency standardization, and the recommendations outlined in the roadmap are both actionable and achievable.

"Working together to pursue the EESCC's recommendations, we stand to make great gains for the energy efficiency market and the nation," continued Mr. Bhatia. "I encourage stakeholder organizations from both the public and private sectors to review the roadmap's recommendations, identify where they may be able to help close the standardization gaps, and work with the EESCC to do so."

Following publication, the EESCC will actively monitor implementation of the roadmap's recommendations, track updates on work to close identified gaps, and create a mechanism by which this information can be broadly shared. It is envisioned that a future report will highlight progress to close gaps and provide an update on new developments. The EESCC will work with relevant groups, as appropriate, to ensure gaps are addressed, and facilitate coordination and collaboration among domestic, regional, and international standardization activities.

**Organizations intending to carry out standardization activities to close a gap identified in the roadmap – either working collaboratively or on their own – are asked to notify the EESCC by completing the online EESCC Standardization Action Form at www.ansi.org/eescc so that the collaborative can monitor the roadmap's implementation and assist with coordination of standardization activities, as appropriate.**

About EESCC
The ANSI Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative (EESCC) is a cross-sector, neutral forum and focal point for broad-based coordination among energy efficiency activities involving or impacted by standardization (i.e., standards, codes, conformance activities) and regulations. The objective of the collaborative is to assess the standardization landscape, and carry out the development of a standardization roadmap for energy efficiency within the built environment. For more information on the work of the EESCC, visit www.ansi.org/eescc.

About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is made up of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

SOURCE American National Standards Institute